10-year-old girl testifies in child pornography, sex abuse trial

A 10-year-old girl testified Wednesday she was made to pose nude for a Cotati man, have her photograph taken and perform sex acts with him.

Defendant George Clair, 37, was in the courtroom throughout the brief testimony, which was done live because the court could not arrange closed-circuit TV in time for the trial.

Clair is charged with 46 felony counts, including having sex with a child under 10 and committing lewd acts with a child under 14 years old.

Prosecutors allege Clair used the girl to make and distribute pornography. The former tow truck driver faces a possible life sentence if he is convicted.

Clutching a blue stuffed animal, the girl identified only as Jane Doe, explained that Clair, a relative, made her remove her clothes and pose for pictures inside the trailer where they both lived when she was 9 years old.

The girl said Clair made her put her mouth on his penis and sometimes wear a black nightgown in the pictures. She described the incidents as happening more than once and called them a “bad secret” that she kept.

Asked by Deputy District Attorney Juliette Olson how it made her feel, the girl said, “Not happy or just sad.”

Clair was arrested in 2008 after an investigation sparked by a tip from the Internet provider AOL to the Virginia-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The investigation turned up still photographs of child pornography leading to molestation charges, police said.

Clair took the stand Wednesday and denied he made the girl perform oral sex. He also said he left her in the care of other adults who had access to his camera and computer. Clair said he lived and worked on the grounds of North Bay Towing in Cotati.