A Lehigh County man, accused of sexually abusing a girl for years before taking her to Mexico with him, took the stand in his own defense Wednesday.
53-year-old Kevin Esterly tried to convince the jury he was a caring father, not a sexual abuser. Esterly was previously convicted of misdemeanor corruption of a minor in 2018 for taking the victim with him to Mexico without her parent’s consent.
In that trial, the victim claimed Esterly had never sexually abused her. So he only served three years in jail, and that might have been the end of it.
But last year he looked up the victim on Linked-In, found her email, and sent a message.
The victim said on the stand it triggered her, and she went to the Allentown Police Department to report it. She told them her testimony in 2018 was a lie, and she had actually been sexually abused by Esterly for years starting when she was 12.
Working with APD and State Police, she called Esterly while police were recording. She talked with him for more than 45 minutes, asking him about their alleged sexual encounters in the past.
On the phone call, Esterly never denied having sex with the victim, or giving her drugs. But on the stand Wednesday, he said he never had sex with the victim, or gave her alcohol or drugs.
The prosecution showed him a picture of him and the victim where she is holding an open beer. Esterly said she never drank any. The Prosecution showed him a picture of him asleep with his arm around the victim.
Esterly said he was just cuddling with a girl he treated like a daughter. The prosecution showed him a picture of women’s underwear on the floor of his apartment. Esterly said he didn’t know who they belonged to.
Finally, the prosecution asked Esterly if he had any regrets. He said his only regret was reaching out to the victim again last year. He said he didn’t regret the sex or drugs, because they never happened.
The defense rested its case after Esterly left the stand. Closing arguments will begin Thursday starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Lehigh County courthouse.