Predator in the House: Trista and Aaron

"My boyfriend was accused of molesting my 5-year-old cousin. I'm torn between a man that I love and a child whom I've help raise," frets Trista. 

Her boyfriend, Aaron, maintains his innocence. "Trista's 5-year-old cousin told her mother that I made her touch my private areas. I didn't know what to think," he says. "I told her I didn't do it."

Trista reveals how the incident unfolded. "My 5-year-old cousin said, 'Do you remember when Aaron made me lick his privates?' I said, 'No.' She said, 'Will you ask him to stop?'" Trista recalls. "She told me he said it was a bottle, I guess, to suck on it like a bottle. I was very surprised and scared. She's just a 5-year-old little girl. She can't just pull that out of nowhere."

 

Aaron expresses shock at the allegations. "It hurts my feelings to think somebody would even believe I had done something. I love her like I love my own daughter," he says. "Her mother has a lot of guys coming in and out of her house. If something really did happen, maybe it was one of them." 
 
Trista says her loyalty remains with the little girl. "I believe my 5-year-old cousin, from the bottom of my heart," she says. "My relationship with Aaron is, to me, until this is figured out, non-existent."

"You say from the absolute bottom of your heart, you believe your 5-year-old cousin?" Dr. Phil asks Trista.

"Yes. The words that come out of her mouth seem real," she says.

Dr. Phil is astonished. "Then why have you not done something about it? I don't get this. If this child has said, 'I was forced to perform these acts with this man,' to you, and you find that credible, and you believe that, and she's been questioned and has stuck with her story, and you have credible reason to believe that, why have you not called Child Protective Services?" he asks. "Why have you not called the police? Why have you not turned this over to the authorities and had him arrested and put in jail?" 

"I don't feel that that's my place. Her mother should do something about it."

"Have you told her mother? Is her mother fully aware of it?" Dr. Phil probes. 

"She knows. She was told first."

Dr. Phil muses why nothing has been done about the allegations. "This 5-year-old child is just left in harm's way if, in fact, this has taken place. Doesn't this seem incredibly illogical to you?" he asks. 

"For sure," Trista replies. "That's why I wrote to you, because I don't know what to do."

Dr. Phil fixes his gaze on Aaron. "Why is this child just making this stuff up about you?" he asks. 

"To tell you the truth, I have no clue," Aaron replies. 

"You have no idea whatsoever?"

"I'm not that type of person. I live with my sister, and she's got four kids of her own, and one of them is a female," Aaron tells Dr. Phil. "I have babysat them since they were kids, and she knows I'm not that type of person either."

Dr. Phil turns to Trista. "One of the solutions you've had about this was you took the 5-year-old to Aaron's job to confront him," he mentions. 

Trista defends her actions. "She asked me to tell him to stop, and I figured it would help her to know that he knows he shouldn't do that."

"Is it a 5-year-old's job to have to go face the accused?" Dr. Phil asks. 

"It was not a smart move. I agree," Trista says. 

"If you're innocent in all this, you would want to deal with Child Protective Services?" Dr. Phil asks Aaron. 

"Yes, I would."

"You'll find comfort in the knowledge that I'm going to inform them before dark today of this scenario, so someone on site, on scene, can come in and, number one, be a fiduciary for this child and put her interests before everyone else's, and protect her fully and completely," Dr. Phil warns. "If there's nothing going on inappropriately, you will be vindicated from that, and you can be comfortable in the knowledge that that's going to take place."

 

Dr. Phil turns to Trista. "You'll support that as well, right?" he asks. 

"That's exactly what I wanted," Trista assures him.

Dr. Phil wants Aaron to understand the severity of the accusations. "This is a child saying that this took place, not once, but twice. She said that this took place and named you specifically as the offender," he points out. "They'll determine whether that's true or whether it's not, and this will be over for you, and you won't have to live under this cloud of suspicion anymore. If it's true, you're going away."