Testimony began Monday in Warren County Common Pleas Court in the trial of a Mason man accused of raping a toddler with a screwdriver.

Patrick Parker, 49, is charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition, third-degree felonies.

Prosecutors say Parker used a screwdriver and his fingers to sexually assault a three-year-old child he was acquainted with and had access to on overnight stays between July 2007 and June 2009.

The alleged crimes were reported about a year later, according to prosecutors.

The girl’s mother testified Monday that she noticed behavioral changes in the girl beginning in 2008 after overnight stays with Parker. In May 2009, she said the girl asked to give her a kiss on the mouth during which she inserted her tongue in her mouth.

When she questioned her daughter, the girl reported Parker had kissed her in that manner, according to the mother’s testimony.

The girl’s mother reported the incident to officials in Kentucky, where she and her daughter lives. The alleged crimes occurred at Parker’s Mason home, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say the girl two years later disclosed to a licensed clinical psychologist that during this time, Parker had digitally penetrated her with his fingers and a device she described as a screwdriver.

The Enquirer generally does not identify victims of sex crimes and is not identifying the mother to protect her daughter’s identity.

In their opening arguments, defense attorneys denied the accusations and say the girl’s story is riddled with inconsistencies and suggest she may have been coached or asked leading questions by interviewers.

Psychological testing performed on Parker in 2009 after the accusations were made revealed no signs of sexual deviancy, the attorneys told the judge.

Parker faces a possible life sentence on the rape charges. The sentences for the gross sexual imposition charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison on each count.

The three-day bench trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday.

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