Published: March 19, 2008 10:15 am         

Haynes put away for 17 years on sex charge

Larry Haynes, 18, of Ethel, pleaded guilty to the sexual battery of his then 3-year-old female cousin during Attala County Circuit Court Monday, March 10.

Haynes, who faces 17 years in prison and five years supervised probation, was charged in early October after the Attala County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by the Choctaw County Medical Center in Ackerman.

According to court documents, the victim told her mother and others that Haynes put his hands in her private parts.

Documents further state that hospital personnel in Ackerman noted that the child was bleeding vaginally and a vagina swab from the rape kit was positive for the presence of blood.

During a motion hearing on March 4, Trudi Z. Porter, an expert in child psychology, testified that the child was very traumatized by the mention of Larry’s name.

According to Porter, the child said things like “Larry hurt me” and she would become very agitated and wanted to avoid talking about him.

Porter said she was told by the child’s grandmother that she had nightmares.

Had the case gone to trial, Haynes could have faced life in prison. His trial was set for March 18.