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Jill Atwood ReportingA man accused of molesting a teenage girl in an LDS Church library, is about to hear the verdict of a jury in criminal court.
Spencer Dixon is a former bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He's accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year old girl inside an LDS ward house.
The fourteen-year old did take the stand today and she actually showed jurors where she says he touched her inappropriately. The question in this case is, did he do it on purpose or was it accidental?
The incident happened a little over a year ago at the Monument Park 7th ward following a funeral. She was 13 at the time. Dixon says he was trying to entertain kids with a movie. He asked the alleged victim to help move a TV cart into the other room. Dixon says it then got stuck in the door. In trying to help her push it through, he accidentally touched her bottom and her right breast area.
He says he didn’t realize he had alarmed her; it was not sexual in nature. He realizes now that he was wrong. He was just trying to get back upstairs to his guests who were having dinner.
A relative close to Dixon calls the charges here a joke.
Cory Molloy, Dixon’s Cousin: “It’s infuriating and frustrating to me. I think that if somebody were to be charged for something to do life in prison, they would have a whole lot more evidence. I would be embarrassed if I went to law school and I were to try this case.”
The trial went very quickly today. We understand the jury will be given instructions tomorrow. Closing arguments will take place, then the jury will have the case.
This is a first-degree felony charge, so if convicted, Dixon could face five years to life in prison.