How Could You? Hall of Shame-Jessica Dawn Hewitt

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Altoona, Pennsylvania, guardian Jessica Dawn Hewitt,34, “faces multiple charges of child abuse, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses” on a 5-year-old boy.

Child specialist forensic interviewer, Kimberly Saltzman’s “interview with the youngster lasted 102 minutes, during which time he revealed that Hewitt was physically as well as sexually abusive.

His father, before going to prison, was working away from home during the week, leaving the boy, his sister and a stepbrother in Hewitt’s care.

She punished the boy by frequently beating him with a belt, he told the interviewer.

She would place him and his sister, ages 5 and 3 at the time, in the darkened basement for lengthy periods of time.

He related that she also would enter his bedroom and sexually abuse him, fondling him and using sex toys on him.

His statements with child advocate’s interviewer mirrored the story that he told the jury on Monday.

The defense, led by Altoona attorney Steven P. Passarello, hit hard at discrepancies concerning the boy’s recitation of the details of the alleged assaults.

For instance, the boy said Hewitt had locked him and his sister in the cellar, but the boy’s father, Passarello contended in a past statement, related that the cellar door had no lock.

Passarello questioned the story that the boy allegedly told to Tyler and Angela Hudson, in which he said the abuse occurred every day.

The defense also contends that the boy has a motive for making up a story — that his father, now out of prison — is fighting for custody of his children. On the stand Tuesday, the father answered, “I guess,” when Passarello asked him if his custody battle would benefit from Hewitt being found guilty of child abuse.

Passarello noted that the custody case is coming before a judge in September.

“Yeah, I didn’t set that date,” answered the father.

Passarello also pointed out that Hewitt was pregnant with their child during at least a portion of the time period in which the abuse allegedly occurred.

The prosecution called one other witness Tuesday: the former commander of the city’s narcotics and vice unit, Troy Johannides, who arrested the boy’s father during a drug raid at the boy’s home in 2008.

Johannides and other officers were searching for narcotics, which they found, but during the search, officers also discovered a box of sex toys, which had nothing to do with their investigation, but, according to Paul, was relevant to the case before the jury.”

Former foster mother testifies in abuse trial

[Altoona Mirror 8/15/18 by Phil Ray]

REFORM Puzzle Piece