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	Mom: Girl's Nightmares Revealed Sexual Abuse WDSU November 28, 2007 http://www.wdsu.com/news/14720468/detail.html NEW ORLEANS — A mother testified in court Wednesday that her 2-year-old's nightmares tipped her off that the child was being sexually abused by her father. Nicole Bernard's testimony against her ex-husband came as trial got under way in Amite for Austin "Trey" Bernard III, of Hammond. He is Nicole Bernard's ex-husband and is one of seven members of a church accused of having sex with children in occult rituals. Austin Bernard is accused of having sexual contact with his daughter and with a boy who was 12 at the time. The crimes allegedly occurred in 2001 and 2002 and there were reports of satanic rituals by church members and the killing of dogs and cats were involved. Tangipahoa Parish Assistant District Attorney Don Wall said the alleged devil worship will not be a focal point of the trial because such worship is not against the law. The case, he said, will instead focus on the illegal sex acts alleged to have occurred during the rituals. Bernard faces three counts of aggravated rape, two counts involving his daughter and one involving the boy. He faces life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty. Six other church members are awaiting trial on separate charges of child abuse. The church was an independent Protestant denomination in Ponchatoula that has since shut down.
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