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From: Traci Steele on 8 Jun 2010 15:53
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_4585b1a4-733a-11df-a432-001cc4c002e0.html



RACINE - Former police officer Damen Lowe has been convicted of sexually
and physically abusing a teenage girl over a period of several years.

He was convicted of seven of the 10 charges against him, including
repeated sexual assault of a child, exposing a child to harmful
material, and one count of physical abuse of a child. He was found not
guilty of three counts of physical abuse.

Lowe had 10 years experience with the Racine Police Department when the
girl came forward last May with the allegations, saying he hit her with
his hands and a belt, made her engage in sexual activity and showed her
pornography. He spent the next year on paid administrative leave, and
formally resigned from the department as his trial started last week.

It took eight hours over two days for jurors to agree on a verdict in
the case. Racine County Circuit Court Judge Charles Constantine on
Tuesday first read the verdicts on each of the 10 counts to himself,
then out loud to everyone gathered in the courtroom.

With the first "guilty," for repeated sexual assault of a child, Lowe's
family cried out in protest.

For six more charges, Constantine gave the same news, that jurors had
convicted Lowe of sexual assault of a child, of exposing a child to
harmful material, and of child abuse.

On the last three counts of child abuse, he was found not guilty.

Lowe's family wept.

Once the judge finished announcing the verdicts, Lowe's attorney asked
to have the jurors polled. Each was asked in turn to state his or her
verdict on the seven convictions.

Jurors looked at the judge and each gave the same response - guilty -
seven times.

Lowe turned around in his seat and looked back toward his family. His
eyes were red.

Defense attorney John Campion asked the judge not to accept the verdict
and to render his own verdict of not guilty on all 10 counts. He said
the evidence "was insufficient" to support the conviction.

Jurors listened to five days of testimony. The victim, now 16, spoke of
how she was shown pornography, how Lowe hit her with a belt and his
hand, and how he forced her to engage in sexual activity over a period
of several years. Lowe took the stand in his own defense. He admitted to
striking the girl - and said it was a way of disciplining her when other
methods had failed - but that he did not have sexual contact with her.

Jurors were told they could find Lowe not guilty of the child abuse
counts, if they found his use of force was a reasonable way of
disciplining the girl.

Lowe had been out on bond since his arrest last May. When the court
proceedings were over, he was directed into the jail through a door in
the courtroom. He faces up to 59 years in prison and 41 years extended
supervision. He is due to be sentenced Aug. 25.

After the hearing, his family said they could not believe the verdict.

"I think that was so wrong," said his mother, Patricia Bellvie, who sat
through the entire trial. "He gets off for physical abuse, and that's
the only thing they were able to prove."

Jurors saw photographs of bruises left on the girl's leg after he struck
her in November 2008. There was no physical evidence - like DNA or
photographs - documenting the sexual abuse. Jurors ultimately had to
weigh what the girl said on the stand against Lowe's testimony.
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