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June 3, 2012

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Ex-girlfriend says she saw Stiles in girl’s bedroom

Woman testifies accused rapist said a cat was bothering the girl

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Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Tina Allen, a former girlfriend of Chester Stiles (far left), testifies Thursday before Judge Jennifer P. Togliatti, center, at the Regional Justice Center. Stiles faces 22 charges of sexual assault and lewdness, 21 of which can carry a life sentence.

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Published Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 | 1:09 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 | 8:52 p.m.

The Trial of Chester A. Stiles

Flanked by his attorneys Stacey Roundtree, left, and Amy Coffee, right, Chester Stiles listens to the testimony of his former girlfriend Tina Allen Thursday afternoon. Stiles faces 22 charges of sexual assault and lewdness, 21 of which can carry a life sentence. Launch slideshow »

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The ex-girlfriend of accused child rapist Chester A. Stiles said her then-boyfriend was in the bedroom of a young girl he’s accused of molesting because of a cat.

Tina Allen, 46, took the stand Thursday and is believed to be the link between the two young girls Stiles is charged with sexually assaulting.

Allen was friendly with the mothers of both girls prosecutors say Stiles abused in 2003. One of the acts allegedly was captured on a videotape found months later in Pahrump by Darrin Tuck, who testified Wednesday.

On Thursday, Allen testified she walked in on the encounter on the night the older girl, who was 6 at the time, accused Stiles of touching her in her bedroom.

The mother of the girl, now 11, said in court Tuesday that her daughter told her Stiles kneeled next to her bed and touched her under her pajamas. She said the girl told her Stiles had “touched her privates” and repeatedly said he kissed her with his tongue.

The child said Stiles told her he was her boyfriend and was touching her because “that’s what boyfriends do,” her mother testified. He told her not to tell her parents because they wouldn’t be able to see each other anymore, the mother said in court.

Allen offered a different account of events.

She said she and Stiles had been asleep downstairs by the fireplace. She said she awoke and had to use the bathroom and, although the home had bathrooms both upstairs and downstairs, she used the one upstairs, by the bedrooms, because the downstairs toilet was broken.

The girl’s bedroom door was open and when Allen peered in, she said she saw Stiles kneeling by the bed “like you would kneel next to your child if she had a nightmare.” A pet cat was walking on the girl’s chest, she said.

Tina Allen said she asked Stiles why he was in the girl’s bedroom. She said he responded that the cat was bothering the girl and he was trying to keep it from walking on her head.

“We took the cat and went back downstairs,” she said.

When defense attorney Stacey Roundtree asked Allen if Stiles appeared startled when she came into the room, she said she didn’t believe so, but was not wearing her glasses at the time and has trouble seeing without them.

Roundtree also asked Allen how she would have reacted if she had seen Stiles with his hands in the child’s pants.

“I would have choked him to death,” she said.

Throughout Allen’s stay at the home, she said the young girl was affectionate with Stiles and kissed him on the neck, face and lips. The girl, she said, kept saying that Stiles was her boyfriend.

“I told her, ‘that’s not right – he’s my boyfriend and you can’t have him,” she said.

A 2-year-old girl Stiles is accused of assaulting -- which allegedly is on videotape -- and the girl’s mother lived with Allen’s daughter, Stephani Allen, in 2003 in a Las Vegas apartment. Stiles often would visit Tina Allen when she was a guest at her daughter’s home.

Stiles’ case gained attention in 2007 when images from the videotape that allegedly shows a man abusing a toddler were released in an attempt to identify the girl and the man. Jurors are expected to watch that tape Friday and the state will rest its case, Deputy District Attorney Mary Kay Holthus said.

Stephani Allen testified Thursday that for several months in 2003, she lived with her boyfriend, infant son and a handful of others -- including the toddler who is said to be on the videotape -- and the young girl’s mother. The toddler’s mother said she would leave her daughter in the care of Stephani Allen while she was at work.

Tina Allen on Thursday testified she sometimes babysat the girl at the apartment when her daughter couldn’t. Tina Allen was living with her parents at the time, and her parents didn’t like Stiles. She would sometimes use her daughter’s home as a place to see him, she said.

“He had known my sons for many years – they would hang out and play video games (and) do guy things,” she said, but added that Stephani Allen didn’t like Stiles and didn’t enjoy his company.

Tina Allen said she didn’t visit Stiles at his home because he was living with another woman at the time. The two had a serious dating relationship for two years in the 1990s, and after their dating relationship ended, they maintained an on-again, off-again “friends with benefits” relationship for at least 10 years, she said.

Tina Allen continued the relationship despite knowledge he had been charged in 2004 with sexually abusing the older girl.

Their relationship ended in 2007, Tina Allen said, presumably after Stiles was arrested in Henderson on the sexual assault charges.

Testimony began Thursday morning after attorneys raised questions as to whether a juror should be dismissed because he might have discussed the case outside of court.

Attorneys questioned juror No. 3 about comments left by a reader on the Web site of a Jacksonville, Fla., TV news station. After questioning, it was determined that the commenter was likely the man’s adult daughter.

The comment was posted on the site beneath an Associated Press account of the proceedings and raised questions as to whether the juror might have discussed the case with his family.

“I think in an abundance of caution ... that we should excuse this juror. We still have two alternates seated and I don't believe there's any harm to the state,” said defense attorney Amy Coffee.

Judge Jennifer P. Togliatti denied the motion.

“At this point, the solemnity of the proceedings and the seriousness (the jurors) place upon the oath has been demonstrated,” she said.

Jurors in this case, as in other cases, have been instructed not to discuss the case with anyone — not even other jurors.

Fifteen jurors were seated on Friday, which included three alternates. One juror was dismissed earlier this week due to issues at home.

Stiles, 38, has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault with a minor under 14, 10 counts of lewdness with a child under 14 and one count of attempted sexual assault with a minor under 14.

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