GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The woman who owns a daycare where an alleged child sex assault happened - testified in a Williamson County Courtroom on Friday. Greg Kelley is charged with abusing two young boys when he lived at the day care last summer.
Shama McCarty told us she believes Kelley is innocent, she testified on Friday for the defense.
The daycare owner immediately got emotional on the stand. Kelley lived at her Cedar Park home because she has a son his age and he stayed with them to finish out the school year.
On the stand, McCarty admitted she cared for more children than she should have under the law. She also said sometimes she would leave the children with other adults if she had an appointment. She testified Kelley would be around the children but she never saw anything inappropriate.
Prosecutors said McCarty refused to talk to them or give information they needed for the case. They pointed out she is wearing one of the blue and red ribbons given to Kelley's supporters and told the judge she's showing bias.
Kelley's mom, Rosa, also testified on Friday. She explained her husband had a stroke and she had a brain tumor so her son went to live with the McCartys.
Earlier Friday, the defense called its expert witness, child psychologist Dr. Stephen Thorne, who says the original outcry of sexual abuse is critical.
"The child is spontaneously giving you these things so it's great information to just, again, if nothing else, just to follow up on," he explained. "These are easily accessed bits of information that a skilled interviewer can make sure they get as much data as possible."
But what happens next, he says, is just as important.
"If non-professionals are seeking out child number one and child number two to talk about those allegations and they're doing it in improper way, even if they're not intentionally doing it in an improper way it increases the likelihood of false allegations," he said.
In this case, attorneys say the two boys made outcries of sexual abuse to their parents. While the first alleged victim is sticking to his claim, the second has since denied the assault happened. Attorneys say both children have had multiple conversations and interviews with parents, child advocates and law enforcement. Dr. Thorne says those talks can be damaging if not handled by the pros.
"There's a comfortable belief that that child knew what they were going to be talking about when they went into the interview and that child has had conversations, interviews prior to that formal interview," he claimed.
Defense attorneys are set to prove investigators asked leading questions to try and prove a case against Kelley.
Trial will continue at 9 a.m. Monday. If convicted, Kelley could get up to 25 years in prison on charges related to the 2nd alleged victim. On the first he could see a life sentence.
