DeKalb County detective testifies in rape trial, describes demeanor of alleged victims

SYCAMORE – The officer who interviewed the two alleged victims in the double-rape case against Brenton W. Cleveland testified Wednesday morning that one of the girls was beside herself when he spoke with her.

“She was upset and crying, to the point that tears were rolling off her face and onto the table,” DeKalb County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Brad Carls said on the stand. “She was using her arm to wipe up the tears.”

Cleveland, 20, of the 34700 block of Glidden Road in Kingston, is not on trial for that alleged rape – yet. Carls said the other victim, who claims she was the second victim during Cleveland’s 18th birthday party in mid-June 2017, also was distraught, to the point that during their 45 minutes together, she needed multiple breaks to compose herself.

Carls interviewed the teenagers
June 26, nearly two weeks after the party, which spanned June 14 and 15. The girl who said she was Cleveland's second victim testified for more than two hours Tuesday, and the other alleged victim took the stand after her that afternoon.

In cross-examination Wednesday by Gary Johnson, one of Cleveland’s two lawyers, Carls said he didn’t ask to see the clothes the girls were wearing that night, and that he didn’t recommend having a rape kit done.

“Their parents advised they might take them to the hospital to check for sexually transmitted diseases,” Carls said. “Because of the course of time from the alleged act to the time it was reported, I advised they not have a full-blown sex assault kit done.”

In the trial at hand, Cleveland’s lawyers have tried to paint the victim as a jealous girlfriend who had sex with Cleveland to get revenge. The victim testified Tuesday that Cleveland forcibly raped her, and that it only stopped once her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Justin Mousser, entered the room, and that she’d lied and said she was just changing her pants because it was muddy outside. She said after Cleveland was gone, she and Mousser slept on the floor, but she didn’t tell him what really happened.

“I was scared,” she said. “I didn’t know how he’d react.”

Carls was the only witness to testify Wednesday, and DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato and Assistant State’s Attorney Alicia Caplan hope to put Mousser on the stand Thursday. Johnson said he might have multiple witnesses testify Thursday, as well. After a nearly four-week break, testimony is expected to resume July 24.

If convicted of the most serious charge, criminal sexual assault by force, Cleveland could be sentenced to four to 15 years in prison. He also would have to register as a sexual predator for life. A date has not yet been set for the second trial, and Cleveland remains free on $27,000 bail.