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July 16, 2012 12:40 PM

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"Witness 9" claims George Zimmerman sexually molested her

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

George Zimmerman, left, and attorney Don West appear before Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester, Jr. Friday, June 29, 2012, during a bond hearing at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center in Sanford, Fla.

/ AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank

(CBS/WFOR) ORLANDO, Fla. - A woman identified only as "Witness 9" in the George Zimmerman case told investigators that he molested her when they were children, information released Monday by the State Attorney's Office reveals.

Pictures: George Zimmerman faces murder charges

According to CBS Miami, investigators from the Duval County State Attorney's Office in Sanford interviewed Witness 9, who contacted Sanford police after the Feb. 26 killing of Trayvon Martin.

Witness 9 told investigators that Zimmerman, who is about two years older than her, had sexually molested her from the age of six up until she was 16 years old, CBS Miami reports.

Part of Witness 9's statement had been sealed and Zimmerman's attorney asked the court to keep it that way, saying the witness' accusations were incendiary, irrelevant and would hurt chances for a fair trial, CBS Miami reports.

Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester disagreed, saying nothing in Florida's public record law allows for such information to be kept secret. By law, evidence the prosecution turns over to the defense -- called "discovery" -- is public record.

Zimmerman is not charged in the alleged molestation. He is on trial for second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Martin, which he claims was in self-defense under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.

Complete coverage of the Trayvon Martin case on CBS News

26 Photos

George Zimmerman faces murder charges

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by archon41 July 18, 2012 9:10 AM EDT: Isn't it odd that Zimmerman's accuser, on the occasion of the last "molestation," drove in her own car to meet with him at a house where she knew he would be alone? And isn't she suspiciously quick to assure us that Sis--the Sis who shared the couch and blankets--is part of the cover up, and will deny everything? The identity of the accuser, with related social media pages, is now easily accessible, for those with the slightest interest in exploring her credibility. But it's so much more fun to play the lay psychiatrist, isn't it? But soon or late, others will be wondering why little Miss "Mischief Managed" availed herself of an apparent opportunity to stick a knife into George's back without him knowing about it, the George who was so clever in manipulating people into liking him, and whom Daddy treated like the son he wished he had. Poor little thing.; Reply to this comment

by ahendryx819 July 17, 2012 12:01 PM EDT

I can't say that it did happen, but if it did, how would all of you Zimmerman supporters feel? Would you still support him?

I don't want to say it did happen, but I can't help but think it did. He has shown a pattern of disregard for people in general, especially minorities and females. (I say this because of the 911 tapes as well as the past DOMESTIC VIOLENCE charges.) He also has learned somewhere that others will help him out of any mess that he makes. He also doesn't seem to think that he needs to be held accountable for anything....

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by ahendryx819 July 17, 2012 12:29 PM EDT: There is a debate about whether or not a racial slur was used, but when he was told by the dispatcher that he didn't need to follow Trayvon, his response was "these (inaudible) always get away." and he kept it up and went to confront him. He was hell-bent on an altercation that night.

The pattern is that he likes to control people. He may have had the charges against him dropped, but that doesn't make his actions go away. He still committed domestic violence and assaulted a cop. You think that he would have had to face either charge and make his daddy and the rest of his family look bad? Nooo, of course not. So then we get into his current self-appointed position of neighborhood watchman. Another way to control people, since he couldn't become a cop. And what happened when someone refused to be controlled by him and fought back? He was killed. If not forced to face accountability for ones actions, an abusive person will eventually kill someone. I know; I work in the domestic violence field. And that's exactly what the case is here.


by ahendryx819 July 17, 2012 3:13 PM EDT: Wow. Someone removed their comment. Guess that says enough...


by nurserobn13 July 17, 2012 10:26 AM EDT: It's tragic, IF it happened. A teacher in my community was accused by 2 students of molesting them. He got fired, his reputation ruined. Two years later the girls confessed that they had lied because they were attacted to him and he didn't reciprocate their advances. Just saying...

And how is this relevant to this case?

Don't get me wrong, I think Zimmerman is guilty of at LEAST voluntary manslaughter. He initiated the incident.; Reply to this comment

by jonnyooh July 17, 2012 7:01 AM EDT

Probably almost as bad as the Zimster forcing himself on a relative would be his prissy hair-do. He looks like his lawyer has taken him to the hairdresser for the Republican politicians and told him to give him the works, including a full facial mud pack. Who would have guessed that the scraggly goofball we saw a few months ago could clean up so well? Gosh almighty dang, he even appears to have a Karl Rove style Brazilian butt lift! I think the butt lift is what attracts the Fox News moron to him. A Fox News moron would walk all over a beautiful woman to get to a two-bit thug with a Brazilian butt lift. Could anybody here tell me what it is about a two-bit thug that creates such excitement with Murdoch's colony of the walking dead? About nine out of ten respondents to this article comes across as a fugitive from the Fox News Brainwashing Factory. Would a couple or three of you hopeless morons tell me what excites you old boys so much about Zimmy?

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by takacrat July 17, 2012 8:05 AM EDT: You just mad because the boys charge you to play circle jurk


by jonnyooh July 17, 2012 6:57 PM EDT: You write like you learned English by reading Tarzan comic books. That means you are a Fox News moron. Keep your pudding filled posterior over there.

by Lerianis6 July 17, 2012 6:31 AM EDT

This woman should be asked why it took her at least 10 years to complain about this...... that long and, to me at least (not really, I have a lot of friends and relatives who agree with me on this) it appears to be a whiny ******* whining about these things in order to get money.

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by takacrat July 17, 2012 8:06 AM EDT: It was probley the other way around


by potterfan25 July 19, 2012 2:45 PM EDT: Most victims of sexually abuse often feel scared to say anything because they don't want to relive the experience


by mmack1968 July 19, 2012 8:25 PM EDT: Obviously you have never experience sex abuse or you would not make a statement like that. That is why the laws are so lenient on people who do these type of things becasue most men just do not get what it feels like to have this done to you over and over and the fear and controll that person has over you.


by RealiteBites July 17, 2012 3:43 AM EDT: eeeewwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just when we thought this guy couldn't get any creepier!!!!!!! ICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That being said, the judge is going to be SO careful about the admissibility of this sort of testimony. Like the defense is really going to have to open the door really wide for the Judge to find the relevance to something like Zimmerman's credibility outweighs the potential for prejudice (I mean that in a legal sense, in that triers of fact are supposed to weigh the evidence, and not judge the defendant on his character ... as in like just because somebody might be a child molester doesn't necessarily mean he actually murdered somebody UNLESS the evidence independently proves that. I don't mean prejudice in the racial sense).

Maybe if this guy goes free on the murder/manslaughter charges, he'll be charged with child molestation?; Reply to this comment

by goodbyeamerica July 17, 2012 2:45 AM EDT

So Zimmerman was 8 years old at the time of this crime. Supposedly it lead on until he was 17. I remember having weird flirty events with a cousin sometime between that age. Will that come back to haunt me? lol It seems as if the prosecution has absolutely no case against Zimmerman. The timing of this allegation is obvious as well. So after more then a decade she breaks her silence about normal sexual behavior some children display? This is no longer a trail, it's a witchhunt. Florida passed the stupid stand your ground law, now they have to live with it.

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by arthanyel July 17, 2012 3:15 AM EDT: Nonsense. She says she only came forward now because now that he is under observation he can't threaten her.

It is not "normal sexual behavior" to lure someone over to your house and assault them. How dare you suggest such a thing!

And this adds to the prosecution case as here is a witness wih a long term association with Zimmerman and family that says they display racist behavior.


by RealiteBites July 17, 2012 3:44 AM EDT: 'Kissing cousins'?

Only in the South ... :/

by Claravoyant July 17, 2012 1:23 AM EDT

This young woman did not want to report this sexual abuse when she was younger, for the very reason that people can see in these comments here. People downplay it or say "it was nothing" or "they were just kids and they were playing". She was quite explicit in her statement as to what Zimmerman did to her, and it was not playing. When are folks going to wise up to who Zimmerman really is?

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by potterfan25 July 19, 2012 2:48 PM EDT: People can sick sometimes especially people who defending this guy about this. Seriously that is not playing that is freakin sick


by joe1022joe July 17, 2012 1:03 AM EDT: Stop the presses!!!

Big news!!!

Wintess #943 says she saw Zimmerman shoot Lincoln and run three red lights in New York City. Oh, she also saw him poison Lincoln's mother's doctor's dog and shoot JFK.; Reply to this comment

by aintfakin July 17, 2012 12:23 AM EDT

so far we have a mountain of evidence and testimony of zimmies character problems yet all these right wingers absolutely refuse to believe any of it. I guess they identify with him.
wonderful

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by nccsa1862 July 17, 2012 1:20 AM EDT: No, it's just that we right-wingers still have the use of reason, and don't understand how this is at all relevant to a MURDER trial. And anyway, did you read the article? He was eight, and she was six. He shouldn't have this irrelevant allegation dragged before the court now, he should have been spanked for it then.


by goodbyeamerica July 17, 2012 3:09 AM EDT: I'm a liberal progressive and I don't just believe what I'm told because the prosecution tells me so. The state lies and manipulates just as much as defense attorneys. This is no longer a trial even though an actual trial hasn't begun yet, it's a witchhunt. You subscribe to mob mentally just as most do.