Detective recounts sex-attack denials

The jury in the Ryan Gaertner sexual assault trial got a glimpse of Gaertner's side of the story Tuesday when the lead detective in the case took the stand.

After interviewing two of the three young women in the case, Rockford Detective Jeff Schelling interviewed Gaertner at the Winnebago County Public Safety Building.

It was July 9, 2003, about eight months after two 15-year-old girls, who were fellow students of Gaertner's at Rockford Christian High School, said they were assaulted by the 22-year-old Rockford man.

Schelling testified that Gaertner, then 17, told him he never dated or had sex with either girl. Gaertner told him he was not interested in one because "she was too negative," and the other appeared "suicidal and presented a Gothic image at school," Schelling said on the stand.

Gaertner told Schelling he had taken one of the girls to his grandfather's house in fall 2002, but said the encounter didn't last long because "he really didn't like her too much," Schelling said Tuesday.

Gaertner initially denied skipping school with the other girl, Schelling testified, but later admitted he had in November 2002.

He told Schelling neither of the girls had been in his bedroom, on the second floor of the home Gaertner shared with his grandfather, although both women, now 20 and 21, testified last week that Gaertner forced them to have sex with him in his bedroom.

Both women identified photographs taken inside Gaertner's bedroom.

On cross-examination, Gaertner's attorney Dan Cain questioned the detective's credibility because, Cain said, Schelling tried to force a confession and said the women can describe the inside of the house because Gaertner had a Halloween party there.

Gaertner is accused of forcing three women to have sex with him on different occasions between October 2002 and February 2003 when he was 17 and the women were 15 and 19. He is charged with criminal sexual assault and faces up to 45 years in prison if he's found guilty.

The women, who tell similar stories of how Gaertner overpowered them, did not seek medical attention or come forward with their allegations until several months later, when the father of one of the women read his daughter's diary.

The trial, which started Nov. 27, is expected to wrap up Thursday.

It is not known if Gaertner will testify.

Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at 815-987-1395 or ccurry@rrstar.com.