Victim testifies in Parkside rape case

At times, the witness chair was visibly shaking as a 15-year-old girl was on the stand Monday to recount being sexually assaulted at Parkside High School.

She took long pauses before answering some questions, and often had her head tilted downward, sometimes using a hand to cover her face.

The girl, who attends Wicomico High School but takes a class at Parkside High School, testified in Wicomico County Circuit Court that Jocori Scarborough, a fellow student, raped her in an area between two sets of double doors at the school.

"He told me I was gonna have his baby," the victim testified.

Both the state and defense rested their cases Monday, and Scarborough decided not to testify. On Tuesday, the jury will hear instructions on the law and closing arguments before deliberating and deciding upon verdicts.

Scarborough, now 18, of Delmar is facing charges of second-degree rape, false imprisonment, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and disturbing school activities in connection with the alleged May 5 incident.

He was also charged with possessing a regulated firearm being under 21 in relation to a search warrant served at his home May 6, but the jury hasn't heard evidence relating to the firearm and will not know about or deliberate on that charge.

The Daily Times does not name victims of sex crimes.

The victim testified Scarborough asked her to sit with him on the bus from Wi-Hi to Parkside and was asking if she could have sex with him, and she said no. She agreed to walk him to class in a different part of the building, which was not unusual, she testified.

Under defense questioning, the victim said she and Scarborough kissed while upstairs.

At one point, after she'd gone to her class but turned around to get a late pass, she stopped when Scarborough and another boy were behind her.

The other boy left and she said Scarborough grabbed her and started leading her down a hallway. She testified that she did not want to have sex with Scarborough and did not give consent, but she said he raped her in an area between a set of glass doors.

The victim said she told Larry Aldridge, a student adviser at Wicomico High School, about what happened because she trusted him; she didn't know the school employees she had come across that morning at Parkside as well.

Detective 1st Class Tom Funk of the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation discussed images taken from surveillance footage showing scenes from different locations in Parkside High School the morning of May 5 as they were shown.

The defense called one witness: Car'rene Hammond, a student who had been walking with Scarborough in the hallway. He said Scarborough's interaction with the girl was like they knew each other, and they started walking down the hallway. Based on testimony, he'd been with them right before the assault is alleged to have occurred.

In her opening statement, Wicomico County Senior Assistant State's Attorney Karen Dean said Scarborough changed the victim's life.

"He took what he wanted from (the victim)," Dean said.

Defense attorney Eddie Gonzalez said in his opening statement Scarborough is innocent, and that is what the evidence will prove.

"This is one of the worst crimes you can be accused of," Gonzalez said.

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