A Lehigh County man is on trial Wednesday, accused of sexually abusing a girl for years.
The now-adult victim was on the stand Wednesday.
The trial had to begin Wednesday with the state’s attorney agreeing to grant the victim immunity from perjury. In a previous trial, the victim claimed that she and Kevin Esterly had never had sexual contact.
But now she is admitting on the stand that was a lie to protect him.
On the stand, the victim described in graphic detail the years of alleged sexual assaults that began when she was just 12 years old. She also said on the stand Esterly gave her alcohol and drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine for years.
In 2018, Esterly was convicted of misdemeanor corruption of a minor for taking the girl with him to Mexico without her parent’s consent.
But because she denied any sexual contact, Esterly only ended up serving about three years in jail.
And the prosecution says that might have been the end of it.
But, in 2025, they say Esterly looked up the girl’s email on her LinkedIn page and contacted her again.
After that, she went to the Allentown Police Department and actually worked with them and state police, wearing a wire to record a phone call with Esterly where he allegedly incriminated himself, admitting to some of the sexual acts he had done with her in the past.
The prosecution says that phone call will be heard in court later Wednesday.