Oakland Defendant Takes Witness Stand
in Underage Sex Trial
By Christin Ayers, October 12, 2002 11:31 PM
OAKLAND -- Edward Sullivan, the 29-year old Oakland man accused of four counts of felony prostitution, pimping underage girls, and statutory rape, underwent exhaustive questioning today in Alameda County Superior Court about the nature of his relationship with a series of underage women. In her cross examination Deputy District Attorney Delia Trevino tried to prove the women were working as his prostitutes.
Trevino cross-examined Sullivan for over six hours today, accusing him of running a prostitution chain disguised as an up and coming escort service under the company name Big Night Entertainment.
Throughout the examination, Sullivan, dapper in an oatmeal-colored sweater and beige slacks, denied prostituting any of his many female friends and insisted that those who were underage had lied to him about their ages, saying they were at least 18.
Trevino accused Sullivan of prostituting one girl who was only 14 at the time that he met her and introduced a journal entry that Sullivan had allegedly written about the girl, reading: “This girl is so fine…I know she would be a moneymaker—I just have to get her to work for me.”
Sullivan said that he could not recall writing the journal entry.
Trevino also cited several sexually explicit photographs that Sullivan admitted taking. She presented the photos as evidence that Sullivan was using the girls as prostitutes.
Sullivan countered that the pictures were taken for “personal reasons” and were not used to promote any of the girls as prostitutes.
Closing arguments for the prosecution concluded today and Judge Vern Nakahara and the jury will hear closing arguments from the defense and rebuttal Tuesday morning.
Sullivan’s defense attorney, Jason Davis said that the prosecution was doing a “thorough job” with the lengthy cross-examination and said that he believes his client “answered [Trevino’s] questions fully.”
Sullivan was initially arrested in June of 2001 in Las Vegas and pleaded guilty to pandering. If convicted he could serve up to 11 years in prison.
Davis said, “We are confident that there is reasonable doubt as to my defendant’s guilt and he will be acquitted.”
