Sensitive jurors shown graphic photos, suggestive text messages and sex toys during Rodhouse trial – Muddy River News

WARNING: This story contains explicit descriptions of violence and graphic sexual content that may be considered profane, rude or offensive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

PITTSFIELD, Illinois — Some couldn’t watch, others looked at the ground. Some took deep breaths, some held their breath.

The eight women assigned to the Austin Rodhouse trial in Pike County Circuit Court, several members of the four-person jury, squirmed in their seats as they were shown dozens of graphic photos on three television screens in the courtroom during testimony Wednesday morning.

Rodhouse, who turns 31 next month, is charged with 19 domestic violence and sex-related offences.

• A Class 2 aggravated domestic violence crime with a sentence range of 3 to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
• 1st criminal sexual assault involving force, a Class 1 felony punishable by four to 15 years.
• 4 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault on a child, a Class X felony punishable by six to 60 years in prison.
• Three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison.
• 2 counts of child pornography, a Class X felony with a sentence ranging from six to 30 years.
• 3 counts of indecent harassment of an adult, a Class 2 felony punishable by three to seven years in prison.
• Three counts of aggravated battery on a child, a Class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison.

Testimony at the hearing before Judge Charles H. W. Burch is expected to continue at 9 a.m. Thursday morning. Rodhouse, a Pleasant Hill native, has denied all charges.

Jared Sample, a criminal intelligence analyst with the Illinois State Police, answered questions from Assistant State’s Attorney Leecia Carnes during Wednesday’s morning session. Cellbrite described how Pathfinder helped it analyze more than 3.4 million digital “events” (including more than 560,000 photos and more than 20,000 videos) discovered on three phones and an iPad at Rodhouse’s home.

The jury saw screenshots of several text messages about Rodhouse or his wife, identified in court documents as “CC.” Some of the text messages contained details of sexual intercourse between the Rodhouse family and their children, ages 3 and 4, Sample said. However, Carnes said he would present them as evidence later at the hearing.

Carnes then showed photos of the bruises, scars, tattoos and blood on CC’s naked body. Several photos showed CC holding an ice pack over her blackened eyes or swollen chin. The tattoos included a tattoo on his forehead above his right eye that reads “Austin”, a neck tattoo that reads “Belongs to Austin Rodhouse”, a tattoo on his back that reads “Property of Austin”, and a tattoo on his ribs that reads “Belongs to Austin Rodhouse”. “Daddy’s Little Princess,” she said.

Sample also located an SD card that he said contained videos of child pornography, which were not shown to the jury.

Rodhouse showed little reaction as the footage was shown to jurors. Instead, he continued scribbling in his notebook, as he did during his testimony on Tuesday.

Rodhouse’s aunt, Summer Rodhouse Crowder, testified about her May 4 meeting with Rodhouse and his wife. Crowder, a home health nurse from Pleasant Hill, said Rodhouse said he wanted to meet with his wife because she wasn’t feeling well. They met at a local baseball field while Crowder’s son was practicing baseball.

Crowder said he saw CC at a grocery store before.

“I asked him what happened and he said he fell off the woodpile while he was playing with the kids,” he said.

Crowder said CC was lethargic and had low oxygen levels when he saw her at the park.

“I tried measuring blood pressure,” Crowder said. “The heart sound was weak, so I wasn’t sure about it. … When I stuck the stethoscope (to his chest) and tried to listen to his heart sounds, it was very weak. Any healthy woman should be able to hear this.

“Did he seem to understand what was going on around him?” said Carnes.

“Not really and that’s what I said (Austin),” Crowder replied.

Crowder said he didn’t notice any bruising. He told Rodhouse to take his wife to the emergency room. He suggested calling an ambulance, but Rodhouse drove his wife to the hospital in Louisiana, Mo., in his own truck.

Defense attorney Casey Schnack asked if Crowder had much of a relationship with Rodhouse. Crowder said no.

Emily Maulding, a crime scene investigator with the Illinois State Police, testified that she took photographs of C.C.’s body twice: on May 9 at Blessing Hospital and on June 20 at a private doctor’s office in Quincy. Photos of Maulding showed bruising and tattoos, as well as a cut at his hairline and a swollen finger on his right hand, which was in a cast at the time of the June 20 visit.

Brandy Tallman, sexual assault nurse examination (SANE) coordinator at Blessing Hospital, said she performed a sexual assault examination on CC on May 9. He presented a document showing 13 points in the drawing of CC’s body. Surgical incisions were seen in four of them. Four of them had crusting and bruising on CC’s left leg. Three of these were crusting, bruising, and discoloration on CC’s right leg. One showed his swollen right ring finger.

Chief Deputy Zack Orr of the Pike County Sheriff’s Department testified about two search warrants he handled — one to recover electronic devices from the Rodhouse home in Pleasant Hill, the other to recover numerous sexual toys found in a trunk in the master bedroom and other locations. at home.

Orr also said there was a turkey, a chicken and dogs in cages at the home. They were given to Rodhouse’s father to look after.

Carnes then asked Orr to show the jury a selection of toys carefully selected during a meeting between Orr, Carnes and Illinois State Police Trooper Jordan Gerard earlier this month. The toys included vibrators and dildos, an electronic shock device, a sex machine, and a rubber mallet (which Rodhouse allegedly used to hit his wife).

A number of books about BDSM have also been discovered, often described as erotic practices or role-playing games involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission. The titles of the books were “200 Ideas for BDSM”, “FemDom for Beautiful Girls” and “1001 Ways to Be Romantic”.

“These items can be purchased by anyone on the commercial market, right?” Schnack asked.

“Yes. I found my information on Amazon,” Orr replied.

“This isn’t anything secret or private, is it?” Schnack asked. “Anyone who has access to Amazon can go there and buy any of these products, right? … Things that are completely legal to own, right?”

“That’s absolutely true,” Orr said.