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Luzerne County office shuffle proposed

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Mayor ‘happy’: Wilkes-Barre draft report shows cash on hand at year’s end

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; On the second day of accused rapist Christopher Bates&#8217; trial, the case became a classic he-said, she-said argument.</p><p>Prosecutors say the 44-year-old from Nanticoke repeatedly raped a woman at knifepoint in a city home in November 2016.</p><p>Bates is facing charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent sexual assault.</p><p>Both prosecutors and the defense rested their case Thursday, with both sides calling only a single witness.</p><p>Prosecutors called Nanticoke Detective Robert Lehman, while the defense had Bates take the stand. Lehman spoke at length about the version of the story Bates offered to investigators upon his arrest &#8212; a version very similar to his testimony Thursday.</p><p>While the alleged victim told the court Wednesday that Bates had raped her three times at knifepoint, duct-taping her mouth shut, Bates said the sex was consensual each time.</p><p>He acknowledged there was an altercation between the two, but he said it was she who had escalated it to the point of violence.</p><p>Bates said he and the woman began arguing after he went through her phone, discovering she had been sending nude photos to another man.</p><p>&#8220;I started asking who the guy was, and she freaked out,&#8221; Bates recalled.</p><p>Bates said the woman ran from the bedroom, getting a knife and her 3-year-old child. With the boy in one hand and the knife in the other, Bates said the woman began swinging the knife around at him.</p><p>Eventually, Bates said he tried to calm the woman, and convinced her to go downstairs to talk. Bates said the woman said she was going to call the police and would tell them anything to have him taken away, which he said frightened him.</p><p><strong>&#8216;Kinky&#8217;</strong></p><p>&#8220;If cops are called, someone goes to jail, and it&#8217;s always the man,&#8221; Bates told Assistant District Attorney Cara Lunell Solimine during cross-examination.</p><p>Bates&#8217; story was very similar to the one Lehman said Bates gave when arrested. However, Lehman said Bates was flustered when the duct tape was brought up.</p><p>&#8220;He was very nervous and flushed,&#8221; Lehman said. &#8220;He paused &#8230; and said he used the duct tape, and said she liked it because it was &#8216;kinky.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>Defense attorney Nandakumar Palissery noted Bates previouslyadmitted to using duct tape but could not remember when.</p><p>So, Palissery argued authorities could not confirm if Bates meant he used the duct tape that night. But Lehman said this wasn&#8217;t the case.</p><p>&#8220;There was no doubt in my mind that he knew we were talking about Nov. 12,&#8221; Lehman said, referring to the night of the alleged incident.</p><p>With both sides resting their case, Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough let the jury go home early for the day. Closing arguments will begin 9 a.m. Friday.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bates </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_web1_ChristopherBates-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bates </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Accused rapist claims sex was consensual, blames woman for altercation