GA - *ACQUITTED* Tonya Craft, teacher, faced 22 false counts of child molestation

[tlcya]

still awaiting a verdict. I would not want to be on that jury, talk about pressure, no matter what the verdict, outrage is gonna follow its announcement.

 

[tlcya]

Good morning my friend, hope today goes better for us both

 

[Jade]

respectfully snipped>>>>>
I'm beginning to think that Tonyas suggestion that the stepmom was possibly sexually abusing her own daughter (interestingly, just after her daughter says she now has two mommies), spiralled into a tit-for-tat revenge scenario, and these poor kids have been dragged into a nightmare.

Can someone please link me to where it says that tonyas daughter helped shave her stepmoms pubic hair? From every article I've read, it says the daughter noticed the difference between her mom and stepmom while showering with stepmom- not that she shaved it for her. BIG difference.

My six yr old dd showers with me sometimes, and my 11 yr old neice has walked in on me in the shower. I don't tell them 'dont look down there'. Of course they notice these things. They're curious.

snip>>>>>>>>

BBM

Tonya's testimony:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_175164.asp

Going on to the issues with Sara Henke, her ex-husband’s new wife, she said that her daughter had told her one day that “you and Miss Sara are different.” She said she described all the physical characteristics where she was different from Sara. Next she said, her child told her that she wasn’t talking about that, she said “you’re different “down there. You have hair down there and Miss Sara doesn’t.”

Ms. Craft stated that she still didn’t feel that it was appropriate for (child) to be showering with Ms. Henke. She further testified that the child told her that she helped her step-mom pull the skin tight so that Ms. Henke would not cut herself. Following that Ms. Craft approached the school counselor to discuss this and find out what was going on and what to do. She wanted someone else to speak to the child as she didn’t feel like she was objective enough to question her child.

 

[kbl8201]

cant go much worse tl

 

[tlcya]

MOO only but if my child was encouraged to bath or shower with a stepparent I would find that HIGHLY inappropriate and would have reacted the way Ms. Craft did. Justsayin.

 

[elle1919]

I think the jury must still be out, I haven't had any alerts and I searched but can't find anything, I did find this station that says they are going to stream the verdict live. I can't watch but I will post the link for any who can.http://www.newschannel9.com/news/newschannel-991103-stream-.html

I hope we aren't headed for a hung jury.

 

[i.b.nora]

Tonya Craft Found Not Guilty Of All Charges

Tonya Craft was found not guilty of all 22 counts of child molestation by a jury in Ringgold on Tuesday afternoon. Judge Brian House was notified at 4:30 p.m. and word was passed to Ms. Craft and her attorneys, who were staying at an undisclosed location away from the courthouse. The media was waiting to be admitted to the courtroom. Ms. Craft, who was facing some 400 years in prison if convicted of all counts, soon arrived at the courthouse with her lead attorney. The jury was to be read by Catoosa County Superior Court ...

 

[Jade]

The jury has reached a verdict.

Everyone is gathering at the Courthouse.

http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_175323.asp

Link to live coverage:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/

 

[TaylorJ4]

Innocent of all 22 charges!

 

[i.b.nora]

Tonya Craft Found Not Guilty Of All Charges

by Dennis Norwood
posted May 11, 2010

"Tonya Craft was found not guilty of all 22 counts of child molestation by a jury in Ringgold on Tuesday afternoon.

Judge Brian House was notified at 4:30 p.m. and word was passed to Ms. Craft and her attorneys, who were staying at an undisclosed location away from the courthouse. The media was waiting to be admitted to the courtroom.

Ms. Craft, who was facing some 400 years in prison if convicted of all counts, soon arrived at the courthouse with her lead attorney.

The jury was to be read by Catoosa County Superior Court Clerk Norman Stone.
The jury has deliberated a day and a half.

As soon as the verdict is released it will available on Chattanoogan.com."

Even though I don't think I posted to this thread before, I have been following it, I have read all the reports of the trial, the day by day reports. It looked like a railroad job to me. Finally, someone there, got it right!!!

 

[TaylorJ4]

Live stream from courthouse
http://www.wrcbtv.com/
Waiting to see if Tonya will speak, judge told jury they did not have to speak to the media but jury foreperson stated he would like to talk...

 

[rosario]

Had your four year old grandson ever told a complete and accurate work of fiction about being sexual molested? I would certainly hope not, and if he did....I would hope you would believe him.

Children can not create entire plausible scenarios about something they have never seen or experienced like sexual abuse. It's like a 5 year old accurately describing everything involved in piloting an jetliner....it ain't gonna happen.

I simply do not believe these children got together and conspired to bring down Ms. Craft and lied so well to convince the professionals around them. I doubt two of them injured themselves to frame her. I also HIGHLY doubt parents could ever coach their children well enough to convince professionals and do you really think the parents would go so far as to injure their own daughter's vagina's just to "get" Ms. Craft?

I also do not believe this is all the work of an angry ex-husband nor do I believe it's a corrupt judge or prosecution all working together to get Tonya Craft. . I'm also not buying into it's a "perfect storm" of all of these things coming together.

As much as it pains me, this woman IMO is a child molester. It's the most simple and logical conclusion. I have no doubts.

Is there any way to get transcripts of the children's testimony? There seems to be LOTS of inaccurate reporting.

I have to respectfully disagree with all of your posts..children who are not exposed at all to innappropriate behavior would have a very hard time "making up scenerios" like this...but this is not the case, these children have been exposed to people, authority figures and friends, parent swho all oare discussing things with them that no 5 yr old should ever hear.. and when you are questioned by authorities and professionals and you are a child it is very easy, very easy to get confused as to what the child really said and what she thought she remembered..for example the professional asked "did she use her fingers in your private area" and the child says " yes" and then they say "how many" and the child answers back with what she thinks they want to hear...and these children are trying to make all of the adults who are giving them attention happy, their parents, teachers, police, lawyers....tonya does not dispute that something happened she just said it wasnt her..and the fact that there are three of them does not suprise me either they are all friends and two of them were caught being innapropriate with eachother..they are 5 years old, i have two children and I know how easy it is to manipulate them into believing certain things...I have personal experience in this type of situation on a (professional level) and children should always, always be believed, always but this situation is NOT RIGHT something is very wrong here....p.s.,,,on the today show they were actually brining up the fact that tonya wore thongs, wore dresses that were to tight and flirted with men...come on...most of the woman i am friends with would be guilty....

 

[elle1919]

Wow....not guilty.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I am happy for Tonya being found not guilty by a jury of her peers. IMO the judge presiding over the case was not at all impartial. Hopefully she can begin to rebuild her life somewhat back to normal.

I am sorry for the children who were involved in this and what they have gone through. I also hope CPS follows up on testimony and investigates other leads and provides these children with additional counseling if it is needed.

Tonya is probably financially broke now and, realistically, may never teach again but at least her name is cleared.

Prayers for all involved in this mess.

wm

 

[Linda7NJ]

But she's not entirely wholesome with children. The boundaries seem blurred to me.
I know that my DD's teacher is very wholesome in the classroom, but I don't know what she gets up to in her spare time- that's none of my business, but it's also why I would never allow DD to go to a party or sleepover at her house.
They should have stuck to parties for kids and parties for adults, not all of them together....especially when alcohol is involved.

And they should not have mixed school and pleasure/parties...that's just a disaster waiting to happen imo. She's their teacher- she shouldn't be their friend and baby-sitter too.

And who lets their kid be watched by someone who had to write a letter of apology to everyone for her drunken behaviour?
Bad judgement all round imo.

I'm beginning to think that Tonyas suggestion that the stepmom was possibly sexually abusing her own daughter (interestingly, just after her daughter says she now has two mommies), spiralled into a tit-for-tat revenge scenario, and these poor kids have been dragged into a nightmare.

Can someone please link me to where it says that tonyas daughter helped shave her stepmoms pubic hair? From every article I've read, it says the daughter noticed the difference between her mom and stepmom while showering with stepmom- not that she shaved it for her. BIG difference.

My six yr old dd showers with me sometimes, and my 11 yr old neice has walked in on me in the shower. I don't tell them 'dont look down there'. Of course they notice these things. They're curious.

And one more thing, the kids may have been coached, they may have actually known about these things from their own admitted gf/bf play, or they may have seen it from being exposed to *advertiser censored*, either by an adult, another child, or just from being online.

Regardless, if it were my child involved I would absolutely err on the side of caution and get it all checked out. but i would also tell them that the most important thing was telling the truth, no matter what it is, and if they were making it up, or told to say it, they would not get into ANY trouble for changing their story.
JMO

Tonya's version of putting medicine on one UNRELATED alleged victims genitals ...HUGE RED FLAG to me. Who in their right mind does that?

 

[Linda7NJ]

All I have to say...I know there is no way in the world anyone could convince my child to accuse me of such acts. No friggin way! Three, THREE girls, similar acts....blows my mind she wasn't convicted!

IMO It's a really good thing that the vast majority of child sex offenders can't afford half a million dollars for a defense of smoke & mirrors.

I disagree with the verdict and my heart goes out to the children and the families involved.

 

[TaylorJ4]

Melydia Clewell of WRCB interviewed Tonya after the verdict and it will be shown on the news tonight at 11 pm

 

[joeskidbeck]

I am thanking God that a jury of Tonya's peers were able to see through all of the lies and manipulation that has been presented to them in the last few weeks. Anyone who doesn't believe that a group of people in a town as small as this one couldn't get together and ruin an innocent person's life should pray that it never happens to them. These children did NOT tell a story of how they were abused. It only came about after hour and hours of questions. Then they only started to remember things after the cameras were turned off. The so called counselors only had high school educations and the physical exams did not show evidence of abuse. One girls exam may have shown evidence of touching, but remember, this is the girl who was caught playing "boyfriend/girlfriend" with another girl. All you have to do is read the trial transcripts in the Chattanooga papers to see what a farce this really was. I in no way would support a person who I believed was a child molester. It happened to a small child who I love very much and believe me, when he told what happened, no one needed to ask any questions and he sure didn't have any trouble remembering what happened. By the way, Tonya's daughter was not convinced to tell that her mother had abused her. Her testimony was that her daddy told her mommy did bad things to her but she did not remember it.

 

[butwhatif?]

Where do you get all of that out of your link?! :




I think that this testimony from the father of one of the accusers [/I]is better described in this article:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_174160.asp



This is how Ms. Craft testified:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_175102.asp

Sorry for the confusion. The link was to 'back up' my correction that was edited. I had 'assumed' that the witness in the quote was the ex-hubby, since it had been the ex-hubby (in seperate articles) claiming to have 'caught her' with girl on girl *advertiser censored* and saying that she had woken up in bed with another woman presumed to have been drugged.

I only spent the day looking at various articles, so forgive my errors.

 

[butwhatif?]

I am happy for Tonya being found not guilty by a jury of her peers. IMO the judge presiding over the case was not at all impartial. Hopefully she can begin to rebuild her life somewhat back to normal.

I am sorry for the children who were involved in this and what they have gone through. I also hope CPS follows up on testimony and investigates other leads and provides these children with additional counseling if it is needed.

Tonya is probably financially broke now and, realistically, may never teach again but at least her name is cleared.

Prayers for all involved in this mess.

wm

Unfortunately a not guilty verdict does not mean her name is cleared in her community . This will linger with her for the rest of her life, and people will still point fingers and accuse her.
Her reputation is forever tarnished even with the NG verdict.
Not to mention what those poor kids have endured!
Thats why there needs to be harsh punishments for false allegations like this.