February 14, 2005

Man Involved in Priest Shooting Testifies

BALTIMORE (MD)
Kentucky.com

BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

BALTIMORE - Dontee Stokes, the man who alleges he was sexually molested by a now-defrocked priest, endured intense cross-examination last week from defense attorneys. As the prosecution's star witness, there may be more uncomfortable days ahead.

Last week, Stokes, 29, vividly described the abuse he says he suffered at the hands of Maurice Blackwell, whom he looked up to as a father figure in his boyhood and as an altar boy.

The defense suggested Stokes has trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality, and that he made up the allegations as a way of dealing with his own sexual identity crisis.

Testimony in the case against Blackwell was expected to resume Monday.

Blackwell is charged with four counts of child sex abuse. Stokes served home detention for accosting the former priest on a street in 2002 and shooting him. Blackwell survived.

Posted by kshaw at February 14, 2005 08:23 AM