WDSU
December 4, 2007
http://www.wdsu.com/news/14769163/detail.html
PONCHATOULA, La. — A jury found former Hosanna church member Trey Bernard, 39, guilty on charges of sexually abusing children.
Bernard took the stand in his own defense before being found guilty of aggravated rape Monday.
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Since last Wednesday, a jury of eight women and four men listened to eight prosecution witnesses, hours of taped interviews with children and Bernard's taped confessions, as well as his testimony.
The prosecution also presented hundreds of pages of written confessions by Bernard and two children detailing the abuse.
Bernard tried to reverse his confessions in his testimony, saying he was coerced to confess in order to keep custody of his child.
"Oh my God it's unreal," stepmother Leslie Bernard said. "Two people got up on the stand and said they did not do that to (the children) and then they still get found guilty. No this is not right."
Bernard will serve life in prison without parole. Six more defendants from the now defunct church in Amite are set to go on trial.
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