NORTHAMPTON — The two young girls who told authorities they were sexually assaulted by a Florence man, Stanley Michalski, took the stand in his trial Wednesday and spelled out for jurors details behind the alleged abuse.
Wednesday marked the first full day of testimony in a trial expected to conclude early next week.
Michalski, 31, has denied charges that he raped a school-aged girl and indecently assaulted her younger sister, while they lived in Michalski’s Florence home from August 2013 to September 2014. The girls are now 12 and 10.
The two girls, their mother and the mother’s boyfriend had moved to Michalski’s property on Florence Road, with the girls living inside his home and the mother and boyfriend living in a trailer out back. The Gazette generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
Michalski, who is being represented by attorney David Mintz, pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to aggravated rape and abuse of a child, posing a child in a nude or lascivious state, possession of child pornography, indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14, distributing obscene matter to a minor and witness intimidation. Michalski previously posted $10,000 bail and remains on house arrest.
Under questioning by Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Linda Pisano, the older girl told jurors that she didn’t realize what she and Michalski were allegedly doing was wrong at the time.
“I felt like I loved him,” said the girl, who was on the stand for approximately two hours.
The court saw photos of the two together, mostly of trips Michalski would take the girls on, including a photo of the sisters smiling on a beach in Maine as they built a sand castle and a photo of the older girl on a trip she took with Michalski to Six Flags. One of the photos showed Michalski nuzzling the then 9-year-old’s neck as she looked into the camera.
The older girl broke down on the stand as she described how Michalski allegedly raped her multiple times. The sleeping arrangement in the house, she testified, was that she slept on a futon with Michalski while her younger sister slept on a small couch, both in Michalski’s room.
The younger sister also took the stand for the prosecution on Wednesday and testified that she was unnerved by the living situation from day one.
“I was uncomfortable,” she testified. “I didn’t want to sleep in a room with a stranger I didn’t know that well.”
“He was rude to me,” said the soft-spoken elementary school student. “He was kind of like a bully, but bigger.”
The girl testified that, one day, he touched himself in her presence and sexually assaulted her. She also testified that, on more than one occasion, Michalski threw Jenga blocks at her head and body. The defendant also stands accused of showing the older child pornography and taking at least one sexually explicit photo of her.
During cross examination, Michalski’s attorney asked the girls questions about the time of day when the assaults allegedly occurred and their respective interactions with him.
In September 2015, even more allegations came to light that resulted in Michalski being charged with forcible rape of a child, two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child under 14, open and gross lewdness, and intimidation of a witness. The new charges result from alleged assaults in Northampton between June 1, 2006 and Dec. 30, 2008, court records show.
Testimony continues Thursday.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.