Tyler

EDITOR’S NOTE: The names of the victims in this article are not revealed to protect their identity and to encourage the reporting of sexual abuse.

By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer

Defense attorneys rested their case this morning after more than three days of calling witnesses in the trial of Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly, who is accused of forcing young children to dance and perform sex acts at the "Mineola Swingers’ Club" for a paying audience.

Kelly, 41, Tyler, is on trial for engaging in organized criminal activity - forcing a boy to have sex with his older sister during a doctor skit at the club for Kelly’s financial gain - on Aug. 1, 2004. He could face five years to life in prison if convicted by the Smith County jury in 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr.’s court.

Prosecutors began calling rebuttal witnesses after the last four defense witnesses.

The victims in the case include a now 11-year-old girl, her 9-year-old brother and 8-year-old sister; the siblings’ 10-year-old aunt; and a 15-year-old girl.

Kelly and his co-defendants are being tried in Smith County because they lived in Smith County and the children were allegedly taught how to perform the sex acts at "kindergarten," which was allegedly held at the house of Kelly and other defendants. Prosecutors also claim when the children were sexually abused at the club in Mineola, the offenses began and ended in Smith County, then they left and returned to their homes.

Kelly has testified in the trial, denying he sexually abused children or ever went to the club. He said he never held "kindergarten" at his house and never forced them to dance for an audience, as the children claimed.

Four of the five child victims in the case have also testified. All of them identified Kelly, whom they know as "Booger Red," as being part of a group of adults that forced them to perform sex acts for a paying audience.

Ms. Mayo and her live-in boyfriend, Jamie Pittman, have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison and face additional charges in the case. Dennis Pittman, his ex-wife Rebecca Pittman, Shelia Darlene Sones, who is Ms. Mayo’s mother, and Ms. Sones’ ex-husband Jimmy Dale Sones await trials for the alleged sexual abuse of the children.

Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly
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