Testimony begins in Lott indecency trial

By ANDY HOGUE, Register Staff Writer

A Cooke County jury heard about the complicated home life of a little girl who is reportedly a victim of sexual abuse during Tuesday’s testimony in the Baird Joseph Lott trial.

Lott is accused of indecency with a child in connection with a 2008 incident during which a then-3 year old child reportedly told a relative that Lott behaved inappropriately with her.

Much of Tuesday’s testimony centered on the little girl’s behavior after she came to live with her aunt, Valley View resident Antonia Bartram in 2008 — several months after the alleged abuse occurred.

Bartram, 32, described how she took the victim in after her mother -- Labecca Leverett, 21, was incarcerated.

One of Leverett’s sisters apparently asked Bartram to look after the little girl after deciding that she couldn’t do it herself.

It wasn’t the first time Bartram took the child in.

The alleged victim and her mother lived with Bartram in 2004 when the girl was six months old.

Assistant District Attorney Lisa Decker led Bartram through several incidents during which Bartram said the child demonstrated provocative or suggestive behavior.

“I became alarmed...I was very concerned,” Bartram said of the incidents which included times when the little girl exposed herself and made remarks of a sexual nature.

She also said the child told her “adults should be naked,” that the defendant “walked around” naked in her presence.

Bartram said she felt compelled to document the child’s behavior, recording her observations in a journal.

At times, she asked to refer to the journal entries for specific dates of incidents.

Bartram also testified that she grew increasingly worried about the child’s behavior and mentioned her concerns to others including Bartram grandmother and the alleged victim’s aunt.

She testified that both women had observed similar sexual behavior while the child was in their care.

She admitted that one incident disturbed her so much she took the child directly to the office of Gainesville counselor Kerri Kennedy-Reiter.

She also sought assistance from Child Protective Services.

Lott’s attorney Chris Fostel questioned Bartram and established that although CPS workers interviewed Bartram and the child at least five times, Bartram is not certain the outcome of the CPS investigation.

He also brought out the fact that the child’s mother has lived with several men during the child’s life.

“...Five other men have lived in the house with (the child),” Fostel noted.

He made the point that the child is apparently confused about the definition of the word ‘naked.’

The child’s grandmother Carmen Peralta explained that to the little girl ‘naked’ could mean anything from an individual not wearing a shirt to a person who is completely unclothed.

She also said the child described a disturbing sexually-oriented game called “Monster” which she said she played with an adult male.

When questioned by Decker, Peralta said she was “shocked and upset” upon learning that her granddaughter may have been sexually abused.

Decker got Peralta to admit that she tried to conduct her own interview of the child using a cell phone as a recording device but was unsuccessful.

Peralta also said she consulted Antonia Bartram about the child’s behavior instead of the police.

The child’s mother, Labecca Leverett and Lott apparently ended their relationship in late 2007.

Although she is the child’s legal guardian, Bartram said she gave up custody of the girl after the child’s behavior became “very physically aggressive” toward Bartram’s own 5-year-old daughter.

The abuse is thought to have occurred some time during 2008.

The trial was scheduled to continue today.