Broward Foot Doctor Accused Of Sex Abuse Testifies
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- A doctor accused of forcing a teenage babysitter to touch him on two occasions took the stand to defend himself in the second trial for sexual assault.
The trial for Augustine Bollo, 49, a Weston foot surgeon, began last week after a mistrial was declared in February by a Broward circuit judge. The jury was allegedly shown evidence deemed inadmissible in court.
Bollo allegedly sexually assaulted the then 15-year-old girl while she was babysitting his children.
Last week, a jury of nine men and women heard the victim, now 19, tell jurors what happened one night in April 2012 at Bollo's Weston home.
Prosecutors held up the jogging sweatpants Bollo wore the night of the alleged incident. They also showed a video of a meeting Broward Sheriff's investigators secretly recorded between Bollo, his wife and the victim's mother.
"The situation that this has caused has changed me tremendously as a person," said Bollo on the video, at what seemed to be a park. "And I drive with the Bible now. Not for guilt but for the situation."
The teen testified that her family and Bollo's family were friends for years. She said she was babysitting while the two women went out. She said after Bollo returned home, he decided to stay in and sat next to her on the couch with the four kids in the living room.
"He told one of the kids to get him a blanket," the victim testified, saying Bollo put the blanket over her and him and took her hand and placed it on his private parts.
"Her feeling was that you took her hand and put it where it didn't belong," said the victim's mother, during the secretly-taped video.
On his knees, Bollo attempts an explanation.
"It happened twice. First time was incidental, I believe. My son was in my lap, she was tickling him, okay. Second time, kinda playing. And kinda hit like this. And I jumped up."
During that meeting, Bollo speaks to the victim over the phone and makes an apology.
"Bottom line is I am the adult and I just want to apologize for the whole situation, sincerely. And you have nothing to worry about, as far as me, in the future or anything like that," said Bollo.
In court, the victim gave her own account.
"When I was trying not to do anything he was whispering, 'Come on, come on,'" she said.
The prosecutor asked, "Did you say anything to him?"
The victim replied, "No. I didn't know what to say. Like, there's no one home. All the kids were right there and I didn't want to scream."
She said Bollo later gave her $300.
"He says, like, hide it and don't tell your parents," the teen testified.
Defense attorney David Bogenschutz says the teen made the whole thing up.
Bollo faces a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted.
