RINGGOLD, Ga. — The child molestation trial of a former kindergarten teacher is moving into its final phase as it enters its fifth week.
Tonya Craft’s defense rested its case Friday after she took the stand to tell jurors she was innocent.
“I didn’t molest any children,” she said in testimony. “Unfortunately, these children are as much of a victim as I am.”
Ms. Craft, a former Chickamauga Elementary School teacher, is charged with 22 counts of child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and aggravated child molestation. The charges involve three girls.
The defense case included almost two weeks of testimony on Ms. Craft’s behalf from experts, co-workers and friends.
During Ms. Craft’s testimony Friday, defense attorney Demosthenes Lorandos asked her to respond one by one to each allegation made by the children. She denied each one.
“Did you do anything (the second child) said you did?” he asked.
“No,” Ms. Craft answered calmly as jurors turned their heads to watch each question and answer.
She painted a different picture to the jury than the one her accusers drew.
Ms. Craft said she started teaching at Chickamauga Elementary School in the 2005-06 school year. She commuted from her home in Tennessee, where she was raising two small children.
She testified that she left her second husband in 2004 because he was having multiple affairs. She said she walked in on one such encounter.
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While teaching full-time, Ms. Craft said she was going to school four nights a week to get her master’s degree in teaching with a concentration in literacy.
At that time the first alleged victim was in her kindergarten class.
That child testified during the prosecution’s case that Ms. Craft had molested her “in kindergarten and first grade,” and that it happened in the bathtub and the kitchen.
But Ms. Craft testified the child did not spend the night at her home during kindergarten and only once or twice in first grade.
Mr. Lorandos asked if the girl took a bath at Ms. Craft’s house, or if she gave any child a bath.
“No children but my own,” she said.
Mr. Lorandos questioned Ms. Craft about each character allegation by the prosecution.
“Does marrying three times make you a child molester?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
As she spoke, her supporters clustered in the courtroom wearing bright yellow shirts.
“We’re choosing to support our friend because of her character and her family’s character,” said Tracy Manning, a lifelong friend of Ms. Craft’s.
But Miriam Boyd, a friend of one of the alleged victim’s parents, said the families also have many supporters in the community.
She said they have tried to remain behind the scenes to protect the children’s identities, but added, “a lot of people are empathetic.”
During cross-examination, Assistant District Attorney Len Gregor asked Ms. Craft about allegations that she had affairs, touched a woman’s breasts and was publicly intoxicated.
When he started to question her about how often the alleged victims were at her home, Ms. Craft said she didn’t misspeak.
Ms. Craft’s husband, David, testified Thursday that he never saw anything inappropriate at their home.
“If I did, I would have turned her in myself,” he said.
The case continues today in Catoosa County Superior Court.