Woman convicted of raping teenager

RUSSELLVILLE - A Franklin County woman faces up to 20 years in prison after being convicted Tuesday of raping a 13-year-old boy.

A jury of six men and six women deliberated for about an hour before convicting Ashley Turner of second-degree rape. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Terry Dempsy is expected to announce Turner's sentence next week.

Turner, 24, 93 Sanders Road, Hodges, was accused of having unlawful sex with the boy at his home in August 2008. She was a friend of the youth and his family.

The boy testified Tuesday that he was in his bedroom watching wrestling when Turner came into the room. "She told me she was bored and asked me if she could watch wrestling," he testified. "I told her she could."

The youth said he was sitting at the head of the bed while Turner sat at the foot. The youth said he was wearing Sponge Bob pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.

"She asked me if I wanted a massage. I said sure," the boy testified. "I left my shirt on and she massaged my back. Then she started touching me. I wanted her to stop, but she didn't." He said one thing led to another and the two engaged in sex.

In his opening statement, Assistant Franklin District Attorney Doug Evans told jurors that under Alabama law, a 13-year-old cannot consent to sex. He said if a person older than 16 has sex with someone 12 to 16 years old, they have committed second-degree rape.

Defense attorney Rebecca Green Thomason said the youth was the aggressor in the encounter. She told jurors Turner passed out after taking too many muscle relaxers and pain pills and when she came too the boy was on top of her.

During questioning by Evans, the boy insisted Turner initiated the encounter and said she did not pass out while she was in his bedroom.

When Thomason asked who he had told about his encounter, the youth said only his father. He talked to Department of Human Resources and police investigators after they contacted him.

During his testimony, the boy rarely made eye contact with jurors. Evans said the teen was scared and embarrassed about having to testify.

Thomason said Turner is a good person. "She goes to church regularly and she wants to go to heaven."

The boy testified that after Turner had sex with him, she went into another bedroom and went to sleep. The next morning, a Sunday, Turner went to church, he said.

The defense did not call any witnesses.

Evans said the prosecution is pleased with the verdict. He said it was an unusual case because the defendant is female. "To my knowledge, this is first case we've had in the county where a female was convicted of raping a boy."

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.