Wife of alleged child sex abuser 'didn't notice young girls'
The woman considered to be the common-law wife of US evangelist Tony Alamo told his child sex trial she thought wedding rings in his bedroom were donations to the ministry and did not notice that younger and younger girls were living with them.
Sharon Alamo, giving evidence for the defence in Texarkana, Arkansas, appeared at times to be reading from a notebook and the judge told her to rely on her memory. When lawyers took a break to confer, Alamo, 74, gave her a thumbs-up.
Alamo, whose apocalyptic tracts outline his hatred of the Vatican and his feared “one-world government” as well as his belief in flying saucers, is accused of taking five young girls across state lines for sex between 1994 and 1995 after “marrying” them.
Defence lawyers say prosecutors targeted him because the government was anti-Christian. Alamo, who has pleaded not guilty, has also said the Vatican is behind his troubles.
Each of the 10 counts against Alamo is punishable by 10 years in prison and a $255,417 fine.
Alamo told reporters on the way to court yesterday that he planned to take the stand to defend himself, despite his lawyers’ advice against it.
But when he left later, Alamo said his defence team had “won the case already without me having to take the stand”.
Defence lawyer Phillip Kuhn said Alamo’s lawyers had counselled him not to take the witness stand, though no final decision would be made until today.
Sharon Alamo, 50, admitted that she had seen young women wearing wedding rings around the house.
“Didn’t you notice the girls moving into the defendant’s residence ... were getting younger and younger?” Assistant US Attorney Clay Fowlkes asked.
“No, I didn’t,” she replied.
She said she believed the collection of wedding rings found in Alamo’s bedroom were donations. Prosecution witnesses said earlier rings were given to underage girls when Alamo “married” them.
Sharon Alamo said she never formally married Alamo but lived with him, took his name and conducted business as his wife.
“We were together for a while but decided to separate but still live and work together,” she said. As she spoke, Alamo muttered to his lawyers: “They don’t understand it’s a spiritual marriage.”
As she left court, Alamo said: “Bye, baby.”
Over four days of lurid testimony last week, five women said they were “married” to Alamo as teenagers or pre-teens and were sexually assaulted by him. They said they travelled to other states for sex with him or responded to his call and returned to Arkansas and had sex with him.
Alamo said the girls, part of his estimated 100-200 followers, were travelling to help spread the ministry’s teachings.
