Psychologist questions evidence in Farr case

Defense attorneys in the David Farr trial called their second sexual abuse expert to the stand Friday.

Psychologist Phillip Esplin testified that therapy, while it has its purposes, is an unreliable tool to gather forensic evidence. Therapists have a primary allegiance to their patients, he said, and they use questioning techniques that are known to contaminate evidence and corrupt memories.

Esplin's testimony related to what was presented for the prosecution on Tuesday by one of the alleged victim's therapists.

Esplin also answered questions about the capacity of 2-year-olds to form reliable memories and the ability of mothers of sexual abuse victims to accurately reconstruct the conversation during which the disclosure occurred.

"People are better at remembering what other people tell them than they are at remembering what questions they ask," he told the jury.

Although the prosecution is not finished presenting its case, Esplin testified out of order because the trial is taking longer than expected and defense experts have to leave town.

The prosecution resumed its case Friday afternoon, calling Linda Harris, who worked in the day-care center at Children's House Montessori School when the alleged assaults occurred.

She testified to the level of personal contact Farr had with his alleged victims, naming three of the five boys among Farr's "favorites." Defense attorneys, however, pointed out that only one of the alleged victims was on that list of favorites when she was interviewed by police in 2005.

She also testified that she noticed behavioral changes in at least one of the alleged victims, saying he became "destructive and disobedient."

Farr, 37, is charged with five counts of felony sexual assault. If convicted of all five counts, he could be sentenced to life or up to 500 years in prison.

A former administrator of Children's House Montessori School, Farr is accused of molesting five boys between the ages of 2 and 4. He was the school's administrator from June 2004 to October 2005.

The trial, in which Farr is expected to testify, will most likely go until Wednesday next week. Testimony resumes Monday.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com