Document text
2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Nov. 4 ... Our View: Kitzhaber's email privacy argument falls flat ... Gold Hill levy fails; Phoenix, Rogue River measures approved ... Emergency services, Nov. 4 ... Our View: Kitzhaber's email privacy argument falls flat ... Gold Hill levy fails; Phoenix, Rogue River measures approved ... COURTS Court dismisses child abuse case against former Central Point couple DA's office cites insufficient evidence Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 30, 2015 at 2:36 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 30, 2015 at 2:36 PM » Social News A criminal case against a former Central Point couple accused of abusing their adopted children has been dismissed in Jackson County Circuit Court after the Jackson County District Attorney's office said there was insufficient evidence to sustain a successful prosecution. In November 2014, Christa Elizabeth Phillips was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, while her husband, Thomas Charles Phillips, faced two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment. An adopted boy and girl who had recently been returned to their biological mother in Idaho reported they had been forced to sleep on a shelf in the couple's garage and eat rotten food from a bowl. The girl said she had been molested by Thomas Charles Phillips and that he had taken naked photos of her with his cellphone. By the time local police learned of the abuse report, the couple had moved to Colorado. "The investigation was difficult to put together because the family no longer lived in the same house," said Jackson County Senior Deputy District Attorney Terry Smith-Norton. "Investigators were not able to corroborate the children's story." In child abuse investigations, detectives typically look for objects and conditions in a home that shed light on a case. A Gold Hill couple were sentenced to prison in September for burning, tying up and denying medical care to their 11-year-old son. After serving a search warrant on the Gold Hill home, investigators found scalding hot water coming from faucets in the house, a blue rope and a tooth that had been broken out of the boy's mouth. In the Central Point case, Smith-Norton said, Christa and Thomas Phillips initially refused to cooperate with the investigation at the advice of their attorneys. They later talked to detectives. Garren Pedemonte, defense attorney for Christa Phillips, said the couple took the children into their home after the kids had already been through multiple foster homes. He said the children showed violent and sexually inappropriate behavior from the day they came to live with the couple. The boy was 11 and the girl was 9 at the time the charges were filed. "It was one of the rare situations where two people were entirely innocent," Pedemonte said. "Oftentimes, there's a gray area where people screwed up. This was one of those situations where they were truly innocent of mistreating these children." Pedemonte said there were inconsistencies in the children's stories and they may have been coached by their biological mother about what to say. For example, the children said they were forced to eat rotten food that was stored in an entertainment center, but witnesses said the entertainment center was filled with DVDs and electronics. One child reported being slammed onto a wooden deck but the home had no deck. Pedemonte said the children may have suffered prior abuse that they were deflecting on the couple. Because of the accusations, Christa and Thomas Phillips lost their jobs and separated, he said. Smith-Norton said the dismissal of the case doesn't mean prosecutors think the children were lying. "It doesn't mean the children were fabricating stories. We can believe children, but there may not be sufficient evidence to prosecute a case successfully," she said. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 30, 2015 at 2:36 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501