Child Sex Ring Trial Resumes

TYLER — Testimony resumes today in a Tyler case involving a child sex ring suspect. On Friday, new questions arose about the testimony of kids allegedly sexually abused at the so-called “Mineola Swingers’ Club.” This during the trial of 47-year-old Dennis Boyd Pittman, accused of raping children and forcing kids to perform sexual acts for an audience. According to KETK, Friday morning was spent questioning notebooks with information taken down by the foster family of the kids involved in the case.

A woman who lives with the family where three kids were placed after being taken from the alleged child sex ring, took the stand. The defense’s question: why take notes on the trial? “I’m sick and tired of people making lies up about my parents,” she said crying. The concern is whether any of those notes got into the hands of the kids who took the stand earlier this past week. “She comes up there during breaks,” one witness testified. This just a day after the defense compared the child victims’ testimony from the last trial, when the kids admitted they didn’t remember some of that prior testimony. The woman told the court she never shows the kids her notes or talks about the case. “You have the same right to take notes as that court reporter,” said District Attorney Matt Bingham.

The afternoon brought more testimony from a child who was 10 when, she says, Dennis Pittman — with the help of her own mother — raped her. She testified that after taking “silly pills,” her mother was there as Pittman raped her. “One of the people holding you down was your own mother?,” Bingham asked. “Yes” she said. “Were your pants removed?,” Bingham asked. “Yes,” she said. “Who removed your pants?,” Bingham asked. “Dennis,” she said. Pittman faces life in prison.