Big trials draw out young assault victims

Erica D. Johnson

Monday, March 3, 2003 | 11:28 a.m.

The testimony by teen rape victims in recent high-profile trials in Clark County is encouraging more young victims to speak out against their perpetrators, victim advocates say.

Several District Court trials have gained media attention, including the trial of Steven Newberg in January and the case against Timmy J. Weber, who was sentenced Thursday. Both men were convicted of raping teen girls.

During both trials, the victims took the stand, and in emotional testimony described for jurors the graphic details of the rapes. The testimony of both victims was televised, without showing the victims, and was quoted extensively in the city's newspapers without the use of the victims' names.

The publicity is encouraging more young victims to seek help from programs such as the Las Vegas Rape Crisis Center, which provides counseling and other assistance to rape victims, said Miranda Smith, a victim advocate for the center.

The center has seen a marked increase in teen clients, she said.

"The high-profile nature of these cases brings sexual assault to everyone's attention," Smith said. "It lets other victims know they're taken seriously by the court system and by law enforcement."

But Vicki Graph, executive director of the Family and Child Treatment Center, said the media attention could do more harm than good when it comes to encouraging young victims to come forward.

"For many, seeing it played out sort of reinforces what the offenders have told them all along," she said. "The worse thing is the thought that everyone will know."

Encouraging victims to report the abuse is vital, Smith said. For every reported sexual assault, about nine remain unreported, she said.

In 2002, 1,006 sexual assaults were reported to Metro Police , according to the department's sexual assault unit.

Of those cases, 201 involved children younger than 12, and 275 involved youth between the ages of 12 and 17.

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center treats rape victims 16 and younger, while University Medical Center treats victims 12 and older.

UMC treats about 60 to 75 sexual assault victims each month.

Linda Ebbert, a sexual assault nurse examiner contracted out of UMC through Rose Heart Inc., said encouraging rape victims to seek counseling once they've reported the crime is a priority.

"Some of them are really distressed and already showing signs of self-hate," she said. "In those cases it's important to get counseling immediately."

There are currently about 2,500 registered sex offenders in Metro's jurisdiction, but Metro Lt. Jeff Carlson said police were unable to determine how many of those offenders had child victims.

Authorities estimate there are hundreds more offenders who never registered with Metro upon moving to Las Vegas or changing their address.

"If someone comes from a jurisdiction and doesn't register with us, we wouldn't have any idea that they're here," Carlson said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon, who prosecuted Newberg, said child victims testify in about 99 percent of cases he prosecutes, unless they are too young to communicate.

Asking a child to relive a horrifying experience is often difficult, he said.

By the time an alleged victim testifies at trial, he or she has likely testified at a grand jury or preliminary hearing and been interviewed by police and social workers, he said.

"It's a traumatic experience," he said. "It's unnerving to testify about an uncomfortable subject in front of complete strangers. It makes kids uncomfortable."'

Still, Herndon called the media coverage of high-profile cases "a good thing."

Newspapers don't print the names or photographs of minor victims and television cameras don't show victims' faces, he said.

"The more kids see other kids go through this process and testify, the more it gives them the strength to understand the process and report these crimes," he said.

Experts estimate about 90 percent of child sexual assault victims are abused by someone they know.

"The age alone often prevents victims from coming forward," Smith said. "They look at adults as authority figures. It's a control issue."

Weber's girlfriend's daughter, told jurors Weber tied her up and assaulted her before slaying her mother and her 15-year-old brother. Weber molested her from the time she was 9 through age 14.

The 14-year-old victim in the Newberg case was his relative who testified that Newberg sexually assaulted her when she visited Las Vegas to attend a concert at Sam Boyd Stadium.

In both cases, defense attorneys claimed sex between the men and the teens was consensual, and that the teens had been benefiting financially.

They argued that their clients were guilty of statutory sexual seduction, which implies consent.

Advocates for victims said that is often the stance taken by child molesters.

Graph said some young victims could associate the difficult testimony they see on television with what could happen if they came forward.

"I think it's horrible that the testimony (of Weber's victim) was televised," she said. "If you're a 9-year-old and you happen to have seen all that, why would you ever tell?"

In cases in which an alleged victim's testimony is necessary, the courtroom should be cleared of all media to ensure anonymity, she said.