Deer Park Man Donnie Pearson On Trial In Toddler's Sex Assault

HOUSTON -- A Deer Park man accused of sexually assaulting his 2-year-old stepdaughter went on trial Wednesday.

Donnie Pearson was charged with super aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Investigators said the abuse happened on July 7, 2009. Pearson called the 23-month-old girl's mother and said the baby had a knot on her head and blood in her diaper, investigators said.

Doctors later found sexual trauma and bruises all over the toddler's body, according to prosecutors.

"That defendant took it way too far and got in way over his head because he walloped that baby and then raped her," said Jen Falk, assistant Harris County district attoey.

The baby was found in her crib. Doctors said the girl's genitals and rectum were to.

Deer Park police said they later found the baby's blood on Pearson's shorts and underwear.

"Her blood has no place being on his clothing," Falk said.

Pearson's attoey, Neal Davis, said the girl may have injured herself. He said that before Pearson married the child's mother in 2008, the baby behaved oddly -- throwing herself out of her crib, biting herself and pulling her hair out.

Davis told jurors that police never considered any other explanation for her injuries, but rather targeted Pearson from the beginning.

"It was an incomplete, sloppy investigation that focused on unexplained injuries and Donnie Pearson as the last adult with her," Davis said. "When it's all done with, you'll see there's reasonable doubt."

Testimony is expected to last until Monday.

If convicted, Pearson will have to serve anywhere from 25 years to life in prison with no chance for parole.