Opening statements for trial of Yuma man accused of sexually abusing a child set to begin
Jalen Fong
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Opening statements are set to begin Wednesday morning in the trial of a Yuma man accused of sexually abusing a child.
48-year-old Randall Medders is facing five counts of child molestation, five counts of child abuse, and ten counts of aggravated assault with sexual motivation.
The alleged abuse happened between 2021 and 2022.
Both the defense and prosecuting attorney gave their opening statements.
With Robert Severson, the prosecuting attorney, describing in detail what happened to the victim and how she felt.
“She’s going to tell you how scared and how nervous she would get when she heard the defendant coming towards her door at night, how she would go into her bathroom if she thought she heard him come in towards her room,” Severson says.
But Richard Parks, the defense attorney, disagrees and presented a different take on what happened.
“Is it possible that what Rand considered horseplay, tickling, rough housing, is now, or was two years after the event perceived as bad,” said Parks.
Medder’s is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.
Parks had a final message to the jury during their opening statement.
“Don’t let somebody bully you into something you don’t believe in… there’s going to be one verdict, that verdict is composed of individual not group’s decision,” he says.
Meanwhile Severson says that after they hear the evidence, there will be no doubt.
“You will be firmly convinced that the defendant committed these offenses that he’s charged with beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore we’ll ask that you return a for a vote on guilty of all counts,” said Severson.
Medders rejected a plea offer from the state which would have sent him to prison for 17 years, put him on lifetime probation, and would have required him to register as a sex offender.
His trial is expected to last three weeks, and it will continue Thursday morning.