Woman testifies in mental health case

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001 | 9:01 a.m.

A part-time Las Vegas resident who claims a counselor treating her for multiple personality disorder sexually assaulted her was expected to face an intense cross-examination today.

Robert William Hough, a former West Valley Counseling Center counselor and pastor at the International Church of Las Vegas, is accused of sexually abusing the 34-year-old woman between February 2000 and May 2000.

On Tuesday the woman took the stand during Hough's preliminary hearing. At the end of today's session, Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis is expected to decide if there is enough evidence to try Hough.

The woman told Lippis Tuesday that she began experiencing mental health problems in 1997 after coming to the realization she had been sexually abused as a child.

In addition to feeling suicidal, she said, she often found herself curled up in a ball, hiding in closets and turning to men other than her husband to make her feel safe.

Shortly after she began seeing Hough, he diagnosed her with diassociative infraction disorder, which is similar to multiple personality disorder or split personalities, she said.

They identified at least seven personalities, including a 6-year-old named Sany, a flirty 15-year-old named Suzy, and Honest, an inexperienced girl of an unknown age who ended up falling in love with Hough.

The woman testified that on one occasion she threatened suicide with a knife while in Hough's office. He offered to hold her in exchange for the knife, and Sany agreed.

When she started to explain the sex acts that she said followed, the woman suddenly averted her face, began crying and speaking in a child-like voice.

When asked by Deputy District Attorney Mary Kay Holthus how old she was, the woman petulantly said "I'm 6" and asked why she wanted to know.

When Holthus asked if she could ask more questions, the woman swiftly turned back to the courtroom audience, stopped crying and clearly said "Yes."

She explained that she knew Sany had taken over but denied knowing what questions were asked of her. She said she just knew Sany was frightened.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, defense attorney Michael Amador periodically asked which personality was answering Holthus' questions. There were no more apparent changes.

The woman also described one occasion in which Hough and Honest had consensual sex. She said no one seemed to believe her when she told them what had happened so she tape-recorded her next conversation with Hough.

Hough, she said, told her that he had "crossed the line," but that in some respects he was happy they had had sex.