GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Abigail Simon, 35, took to the stand today. It's day eight for her trial.
The former Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School tutor is accused of having a sexual relationship with a
then-15-year-old boy.
Simon tutored the teen in late 2012 and early 2013.
She's accused of picking him up near his home, taking him back to her apartment on multiple occasions and having sex with him.
Thousands of text messages allegedly exchanged between the two were revealed in court. She's also accused of sending a picture of herself wearing lingerie to the teen.
The alleged victim is now 17. He also testified this week and said the sex was consensual.
However, the first person to testify today was Grand Rapids police detective Amy Lowrie.
Lowrie questioned Simon when the alleged relationship came to light in April 2013. That conversation was recorded.
Kent County assistant prosecutor Helen Brinkman played the interrogation tape.
Part of the recorded conversation included:
"Detective: Who initiated it?
Simon: I mean, I- I ... We never actually had. We never had sex.
Detective: I know you had sex. He told me, and I could read the text messages. That's not a question whether you guys had sex or not. I want to know who initiated it. Who asked who to do what?
Simon: I'm not answering that. I - I don't know what your definitely is.
Detective: Then tell me what your definition is then. What kind of sexual contact did you have? If you didn't have actual, full on intercourse, then what did you... (tape cuts off)"
The prosecutor then said to the detective, "Alright, at that point what happened?"
Detective Lowrie replied, "The defendant ended the interview."
Later on, the prosecution said to the detective, "Have you heard to this day from the defendant that she was raped by [the teen]."
Detective Lowrie replied, "No, I have not."
When Simon took the stand, her defense attorney questioned her first.
"Defense attorney: Why did you tell detective Lowrie that you didn't have sex with [the teen]?
Simon: Because I didn't.
Defense: Can you elaborate to the jury what that means?
Simon: I didn't engage in sex with him.
Defense: Well, what happened?
Simon: He forced me to have sex with him.
Defense: Was it against your will?
Simon: Yes.
Defense: Did you tell him?
Simon: Yes.
Defense: Did that stop him?
Simon: No."
The teen, who's the alleged victim, testified that the relationship was consensual, and he said Simon asked for rough sex. This was revealed in the text messages allegedly exchanged between the two.
However, Simon said she was scared of the teen. She said he was controlling and would get upset when
he didn't get his way. Simon also said she went along with his demands to appease him.
She talked about how she wanted to leave Grand Rapids to get away from him.
"Defense: What were you afraid of?
Simon: Well, I was always… I didn't want to make him angry with me.
Defense: What happened when he was angry with you?
Simon: He slapped me.
Defense: What else did he do when he was angry with you?
Simon: Push me.
Defense: Is there anything else he would do when he was angry with you?
Simon: Push me, slap me. He didn't slap me often, but he would push me."
Throughout the trial, a picture of Simon wearing lingerie has been shown. Simon allegedly texted the photo to the teen.
Today, she said the boy made her buy it, and she said he took the picture of her wearing it.
Simon is expected to take the stand again when the case resumes Monday.
