Testifying in trial of Eric McGowen who admitted raping her with eight other males, sometimes two at a time
Broke down on witness stand during video showing her having anal sex with attackers, jurors turned away
Said in one attack she was 'probably' assaulted by all 20 males over 10 hours
In separate ordeal she was penetrated by a beer bottle
Prosecutor described attackers as 'pack of animals'
First trial stemming from horrific case expected to provide new details
Two men and six juveniles have pleaded guilty
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 12:46 EST, 29 August 2012
UPDATED: 15:53 EST, 29 August 2012
A 13-year-old Texas girl who was repeatedly gang-raped by 20 males when she was just 11 broke down in court today as she watched a video of one of the horrific attacks.
The girl, who authorities haven't named, is testifying against Eric McGowen, 20, in the first trial stemming from the shocking case, which involved the 'pack of animals' raping her sometimes two at a time, anally and with a beer bottle.
McGowen is among 14 adults accused of sexually assaulting the girl in the series of horrendous attacks that took place in the small Texas community of Cleveland, 45 miles from Houston, over four months in 2010.
He is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
In court today, the middle school student, dressed in a plaid shirt and blue jeans and wearing a gold cross around her neck, described how McGowen took her to a house in October 2010 where she had sex with multiple males.
The girl said she was brought into what she described as the 'baby room' in the house, and that McGowen and others took turns having sex with her.
Testifying under the pseudonym Regina, the girl smiled nervously and answered questions quietly.
But she broke down on the witness stand when prosecutors began playing a graphic video tape of her having anal sex during one of the alleged attacks.
She said the video, which several jurors turned away from, was of her being assaulted by another man charged in the case.
She identified McGowen in the film laughing in the background, telling the attacker to 'beat that ho.'
'Did the guys just take turns with you?' prosecutor Joe Warren asked.
'Yes sir,' the girl said.
The girl seemed calm for most of the roughly one and a half hours she testified.
She mostly gave short answers to questions, often pausing to stare at the floor or ceiling of the Liberty courtroom before responding.
However, she had difficulty remembering names and exactly how all the assaults occurred, according to the Houston Chronicle.
She described another alleged rape in November 2010 that started in a different Cleveland home the defendants called the 'boom boom' room, according to prosecutors, and that continued later at a nearby abandoned trailer.
Asked by Warren if more than 20 males might have assaulted her that day, the girl responded, 'probably.'
Jurors were later shown police photos of used condoms and condom wrappers found inside and outside the house in the November incident.
McGowen’s attorney, Matthew Poston, questioned the girl for about six minutes, during which time he asked whether she twice told police early in the investigation that she never had sex with McGowen.
The girl said she didn’t remember saying that.
During opening statements on Wednesday, Warren told jurors he would present them with videotaped and written confessions in which McGowen admitted to raping the girl.
'What took place to this girl was nothing better than a pack of animals attacking,' Warren said.
The prosecutor added that while the girl may be seen smiling and even laughing at some times on the videos, these individuals had 'duped, tricked and talked her into doing things against her best interests,' according to the Chronicle.
Authorities say the then 11-year-old was assaulted at least five times between mid-September and early December 2010 by a group of 20 males ranging in age from a middle school student to a 28-year-old.
The attackers filmed the girl being raped and took cellphone photos.
Yesterday, a videotaped police interview in which McGowen admitted he and eight other men took turns having sex with the girl, sometimes two at a time, was shown in court.
In the video, which McGowen's lawyers argued should not be allowed as evidence, the 20-year-old initially denied ever touching the girl, but he later broke down and told investigators he engaged in oral sex with her, according to the Houston Chronicle.
He also said one of the others penetrated the girl with a beer bottle.
On Tuesday, Poston tried but failed to get the confessions thrown out, arguing that police improperly questioned McGowen.
During his opening statement, Poston told jurors that the video evidence in the case doesn’t show McGowen having sex with the girl.
'The truth in this case is not always what it seems,' he said.
He also said to jurors, regarding the video 'what you'll see will not be pleasant but the most unsettling parts do not contain McGowen having intercourse with this girl.'
Today, Poston questioned how the girl learned McGowen's name since she was only aware of his street nickname 'Clyde.'
She told him she believed the first time she heard that name was from school police who were questioning her about the rapes, the Chronicle reported.
Two men and all six juveniles have pleaded guilty in the horrific case.
A gag order has prevented prosecutors and defense attorneys from commenting about the case.
McGowen's trial, which is being held in the nearby county of Liberty, is expected to yield further details about the attacks in coming days.
The investigation into the shocking gang-rapes began in 2010 after one of the girl's friends told a teacher he had seen a cellphone video that showed the 11-year-old being raped in an abandoned trailer.
Those charged included two top athletes at the local high school and adults with criminal records.
The case brought unflattering attention to Cleveland, a town of 9,000 people, after some residents suggested the girl was in part responsible for what happened, saying she wore makeup, looked older and wasn't properly supervised by her parents.
Other community residents, as well as groups from outside of town, sharply criticised those suggestions.
Two other adults have previously pleaded guilty, with one receiving a 15-year prison term and the other awaiting sentencing.
Six juveniles who were charged also have previously pleaded guilty. They received 7-year prison terms, but their sentences were suspended and they were put on probation for that amount of time.
Most of the adult defendants in the case face charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, while four face a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
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