23-year-old woman tearfully addresses older brother in court who sexually abused her for years as a child out of ‘curiosity’ – he’s sentenced 32 years
Student, tearfully addresses older brother in court who abused her for years as a child out of ‘curiosity’
Katie Bailey, 23, addressed her 31-year-old brother James in court on Thursday
James was sentenced to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing his sister from the time she was eight years old until she was twelve
He said the first word that came to mind about their relationship was ‘curiosity’
James Bailey was convicted on two felony counts of sexual abuse
Sibling face-off : Katie did not pull any punches in court
In an emotional victim impact statement, a young woman excoriated her older brother in court following years of molestation.
Kathryn ‘Katie’ Bailey, 23, broke down in tears several times during as she addressed her older brother James in a Syracuse, New York court room on Thursday.
He was found guilty on two felony counts of sexual abuse after assaulting Katie repeatedly for four years beginning when she just was Eight years old. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing Katie as a child.
Katie addresses James in court, recounting the horrors of the abuse
During James’s trial, he was asked what the first word was that came to his head when he thought about his relationship with his sister Katie, to which he responded: ‘Curiosity’.
Katie had the opportunity to respond to her 31-year-old brother, who faced her from just a few feet away, shackled and awaiting transport to his decades-long prison sentence.
‘It was sexual abuse, it was not curiosity,’ Katie said.
‘Do you really think so little of what you did to me?’
Katie continued: ‘You try to blame your substance and alcohol abuse on dad, but in reality, James, it was your mind dealing and processing with your guilt.’
James Bailey is appealing his prison sentence with the defense that he was under the influence of drugs during the time he confessed the abuse to police.
Kathryn ‘Katie’ Bailey broke down in tears several times during as she addressed her brother James, in a Syracuse, Thursday after he was sentenced to 32 years for sexually abusing her when she was a child
Katie decided to finally speak out about the abuse more than a decade later after her family reportedly disowned James for his drug abuse in 2013. News Channel 9 reports Katie in court recalling how the stress of remaining silent about the abuse brought on seizures and emotional issues.
‘You stand here today, and throughout this entire prosecution with the mindset that you don’t deserve this,’ Katie said.
Katie endured years of incestuous sexual abuse for years at the hands of her older sibling
As she spoke, her brother stood with his body facing the judge, but his head turned and watched unemotionally as his tearful sister speak about the impact his abuse had on her life.
Katie began laughing incredulously through her tears when she discussed her brother’s statement on the stand that ‘curiosity’ motivated his abuse.
‘After hearing that word ‘curiosity’ the trauma for me continued,’ she said.
‘Just when I thought the memories and the way I felt was enough to make me cold and numb inside, you managed to damage and hurt me again.’
“I was going through high school and everyone was going through the process of being a regular person, I thought, having relationships, growing through things, being able to have sex. Doing these things that I could not bring myself to do,” Bailey said.
Child abuse victim Katie Bailey plans to dedicate her life to advocating for other children who are victims of sexual abuse.
Katie decided to finally speak out about the abuse more than a decade later after her family reportedly disowned James for his drug abuse
She then began sobbing, and reflected on the gravity of the prison sentence handed down to her brother – 32 years. A judge has banned him from contacting Katie for the next four decades.
He previously turned down a plea deal that would have granted him 13 to 15 years in jail, and would have spared his sister from testifying at his trial.
‘How does possibility of 32 years sound to you?’ she asked. ‘That’s 11,680 days and 280,000 hours. I’m positive that number will matter to you.’
‘However long I live, I will have a life sentence,’ she continued.
‘I have the rest of my life to bear the weight of this abuse, and that is that. I will never forget what you have done to me. I will never forget how it felt through those dark days.’
Despite the unbelievable trauma Katie experienced as a child, she now plans to dedicate her life to advocating for child sex abuse victims. She is now pursuing a second degree in Criminology from the State University of New York.
Finishing her speech, she told her brother: ‘To be honest, I’m not sure how to end this. I’ve been waiting for this day for years.
‘I suppose a goodbye is an order, but I’d like to say one last thing. I don’t hate you. I hate what you did.
‘But I hope you and your self centered, egotistical a** remembers my last words to you and you’ll be reminded every single day that you’re in prison for your curiosity.’
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