Alleged Victim Says Crime Didn't Happen

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Posted: 8:16 PM Aug 28, 2008
Last Updated: 9:19 PM Aug 28, 2008
Reporter: Dave Jordan

20 comments

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The 15 year-old alleged victim who's father went to prison after being convicted of molesting her says he didn't do it.

The girl testified Thursday at the N.C. Innocence Commission hearing where 42 year old former Plymouth police officer Henry Reeves is trying to clear his name.

This is the first case in the nation to ever go before a three judge panel. Reeves was accused and convicted of molesting his then 6 year-old daughter back in 2001. Reeves, who has since served his sentence, maintains his innocence.

All three judges must unanimously agree that Reeves was not guilty for him to be exonerated.

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Posted by: Angry on Sep 10, 2008 at 04:35 PM
there was no plea. no your facts. He is innocent the trueth will come out.

Posted by: Denise Location: Ga. on Sep 9, 2008 at 11:12 PM
You people have no idea what my family had to endure from Pitt Co. social services, DA. and there so -call doctors. Some thing needs to be done about the way that Co. ruins people lives . I never heard of being convicted off hear say . Something really needes tobe done.

Posted by: Ted Location: Greenville on Aug 30, 2008 at 09:56 PM
To Concerned Citizen I disagree, while I'm sure there are rare instances of an innocent person taking a plea deal I don't believe there are more than a few innocent people in prison. Reeves spent just under two years in prison, and unless the information from the Pitt County DA's office is flawed he did enter a plea of No Contest. Certainly it's possible he was falsely accused, but so far there has been nothing posted here that would lead me to believe that.

Posted by: Ted Location: Greenville on Aug 30, 2008 at 02:47 PM
According to the Official Crime version, he entered a plea of No Contest.

Posted by: David Location: Manteo on Aug 30, 2008 at 02:24 PM
Something must had happened in 2001 for this child to accuse her own father of molesting her. And now that she is 15, she changes her charges? There is allot more to this than what the public is being told. My guess would be, she is either being threatened now by other family members OR someone set her up to make those accusations towards her father back then. Regardless of what it was now, this kid should be charged and contained for contempt of court. Our tax money went into this trial and this kid clearing has no morals and concern for what is right or wrong in the court of law.

Posted by: Facts Location: North Carolina on Aug 30, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Ted,He took no plea deal and he never enter a plea of "No Contest".He was tried twice by a jury. The first trial was a hung jury

Posted by: Concerned Citizen Location: Greenville on Aug 29, 2008 at 09:06 PM
In many cases when it comes down to it many people will choose to take a plea deal of no contest and get a fraction of the time that they could get if the case goes to trial. I have even heard of people involved in self defense situations where because of community uproar they get charges filed against them and rather then potentially end up in jail for 10 years or longer will choose to take a plea deal and only do 3-5 years. Its a matter of numbers and I think that even if I was accused of a crime and was innocent I would be hard pressed to not take a plea deal if I was accused of a crime where to be convicted would land me in jail for 10 or more years. Keep in mind that our legal system states innocent until proven guilty but in many cases its guilty until your lawyer proves you innocent.

Posted by: Ted Location: Greenville on Aug 29, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Mistakes do sometimes happen but if he is truly innocent then why did he enter a plea of "No Contest" in his original trial? If I were accused of a crime I did not commit I'd fight to the bitter end.

Posted by: T Location: Washington on Aug 29, 2008 at 02:26 PM
I agree with Bill in Raleigh. If all evidence points to the grandmother then she should pay for what has been done to her son-in-law. This will affect the child for the rest of her life. What are people thinking. The world is getting worse by the minute.

Posted by: Don't blame this CHILD Location: NC on Aug 29, 2008 at 10:07 AM
I absolutely cannot believe some on here are flaming this child! She was a VERY young child & only SIX!!!! And she is STILL a child, at 15! What she is doing now, is the right thing. She should be commended, as it's both courageous & brave. For a young 15 yr old to choose to come forward, is remarkable. It would have been far easier for her to have said nothing. And if what she is saying, now, is true, then someone influenced her back then. If you want to be justifiably angry at someone, that party is the one who deserves your anger...not this child! That party took 9 years of this man's life, that cannot be replaced. They destroyed his name & his family. They scarred this young child & took her father from her. They convinced the child to turn against their parent, believe that he didn't love her, & had done dispicable, horrible things to her. The father AND the child are both victims in this case. The party that coerced this child, is the one that deserves the blame.

Posted by: LD Location: NC on Aug 29, 2008 at 09:48 AM
So the truth is that the girl lied and her father did not do it??If that's the case then the girl should be punished. He has lost 9yrs. of his life IN prison that's so sad!!

Posted by: VBush Location: MHCY on Aug 29, 2008 at 09:11 AM
Sarah, Your anger is misguided. The child was 6 years old at the time in question. Any 6 year old guided by a trusted adult can be coerced. It is up to the court system to PROVE he did it. In most of these types of cases it becomes more of the defendant's position to PROVE he DIDN'T do it. The adult that coerced this child to lie should go to jail, the court system is also at fault because it did not do it's duty in 'proving beyond a shadow of a doubt' that he did do it. We live in a society that convicts a man in the court of public opinion first. This definitely influences the jury. All a child has to do is claim it happened and the man is ruined. The prosecution was not forced to actually prove it happened. The man's defense attorney is probably also a moron. The officer (accused) should take the half a million the state will owe him and spend his time trying to make a difference in this area so that maybe only the actual guilty people will go to jail.

Posted by: What? Location: Washington on Aug 29, 2008 at 08:47 AM
The child was 6 yrs old at the time. Have you ever been around kids at all? This kid is his daughter. A parents love is unconditional.

POST EDITED

Posted by: Sarah Location: Fayetteville/Creswell, NC on Aug 29, 2008 at 06:57 AM
ok, 1st I am glad his named is being cleared and 2nd, I would have nothing to do with the lieing kid. EVER! she obviously did not care she ruined 9 years of his life so I would disown her and have nothing else to do with her. and i hope when she has kids, they go to jail.

Posted by: Bill Location: Raleigh on Aug 29, 2008 at 06:56 AM
WITN's story fails to mention that the six year old was forced to lie by her grandmother, Mr. Reeve's mother-in-law. She is the one who should go to jail for corruption of a minor.

Posted by: WHY Location: Somewhere in NC on Aug 29, 2008 at 05:29 AM
The saddest part about this story is...the father is the victim in this case. I really believe this man should be exonerated. An admit confession from the accuser is enough to clear this mans name.

Posted by: Wood Location: Washington on Aug 29, 2008 at 04:46 AM
I never heard of an Innocence Commission before, with 3 Judges, but surely it must have been around. Mr. Reeves could still be in a mess if just one of the Judges fails to agree on his innocence, and he could be completely innocent. A hard case and obviously we don't have enough evidence to make a decision from here, but it is hard to understand how something like this could happen. I sure hope the court will thoroughly review the original trial for errors and omissions and severely penalize any guilty party. There's no way to repay a man for the damage something like this would do, just no earthly way.

Posted by: John Location: Grifton on Aug 29, 2008 at 04:42 AM
Thanks for reporting this story. No story about what happen Thursday online in greenville paper.

POST EDITED

Posted by: Obama 08 4 Prez! on Aug 29, 2008 at 03:12 AM
How do you get 9 years back? But at least she came forward and told the truth. She could have continued the lie. I feel so bad for him, I'm sure he is glad to be free, and mad at the same time. Enjoy your freedom Mr.Reeves you have earned more than your share.

Posted by: VBush Location: MHCY on Aug 29, 2008 at 12:06 AM
There are not enough details here (AS USUAL) to make any real determination, but we have seen this situation so many times. Someone prods a small child to make false allegations,(usually a pissed off girlfriend or wife) he goes to jail and has his life ruined....and then when the child gets a little older or grows up, they decide to tell the truth. I really don't think that these cases are being proven 'beyond the shadow of a doubt'. In these cases it is usually that the defendant must prove he didn't do it, as opposed to the prosecutor having to prove that he did do it.

Posted by: ??? Location: NC on Aug 28, 2008 at 10:51 PM
I dont know why everyone thinks that some children wont tell a lie.Its like always believe the child even if you have no other evidence, not caring whos life you have ruined.When she becomes an adult and gets a job, he should get a percentage of everything she earns until her debt to him is repaid.

Posted by: Steve Location: Kinston on Aug 28, 2008 at 09:07 PM
I cannot for the life of me understand how such a travesty could have occurred. Surely an examination of the child would have produced evidence of molestation. It is truly a sad event.

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