One victim's family left the courtroom in tears and thanked police and the prosecutor who worked on the case. But the victim herself may have done the hardest work.
/*Willie Green*/ showed no emotions and mumbled to himself as, one by one, the verdicts came in. The jury found Green guilty of all nine counts against him for inappropriate contact with two of his foster daughters. Both girls testified against Green.
One of them was only 13 when she was placed with Green two years ago, and she said her foster father actually had sexual relations with her. Months after she was removed from the home, she reported the crime to police and recorded the evidence that may have swayed the jury's decision. In his own words, Green talked about their contact.
"This, if it gets out, I'm done," he told the girl in the phone call. "I'll lose everything."
"It appeared, after speaking with the jurors, that was very compelling evidence," said prosecutor Gabriel Brickey. "Obviously, to hear the defendant be confronted with many of these allegations and not deny them and in some ways acknowledge them was compelling."
The victim wasn't in court for the verdict, but her new family was, and it brought them to tears. Brickey says they were overwhelmed after a difficult year and a tough trial. "They were somewhat at a loss, just happy that (the girl) was believed," he said.
Brickey said Green faces as long as 20 years in prison when he's sentenced next month.
In addition to having seven foster kids, Green was also a sports coach and a teacher's aide at Fresno Unified. The district is taking steps to fire him after placing him on unpaid leave after the charges became public. He'll also have to register as a sex offender.
