The trial for David Allen Hardin, the Chickamauga man charged with 17 counts of child molestation, began Mon-day in Walker County Superior Court in LaFayette.

Besides child molestation, Hardin faces three counts of rape, one count of statutory rape, one count of incest, one count of aggravated sexual battery, and one count of attempt to commit a felony.

Hardin was arrested in early October 2008 after Chickamauga police received a complaint that a child was being sexually abused. Hardin, 54 at the time, lived in Chestnut Hill trailer park. Prior to that he lived in Tennessee.

Police said Hardin would let men have sex with children while he watched. Hardin also had sex with children, police said.

A number of others were arrested in the investigation.

Two others are facing trial with Hardin.

Shawn Daniel Meintz, 31, of East 48th Street in Chattanooga, is on trial for one count of rape, one count of aggra-vated child molestation, one count of statutory rape, and four counts of child molestation. The offenses occurred between Sept. 1 and Oct. 1, police say. He is accused of raping a child, sodomy, forcing a child to touch him inappro-priately, and forcing a child to perform sexual acts on him.

Kevin Lee Hicks, 22, of Lee Avenue in Chickamauga, is on trial for one count of statutory rape and four counts of child molestation. The offenses occurred between Sept. 1 and Oct. 1, police say. He is accused of raping a child, forcing a child to touch him inappropriately and touching a child inappropriately.

Opening statements

Assistant district attorney Chris Arnt told the jury Hardin engaged in sexual acts with two children and brought in other men to take part as he watched.

Arnt said one of the men arrested in the case, Preston James Dennel, 20, of Lee Avenue in Chickamauga, has already been sentenced and is serving time for a merged count of child molestation and stautory rape. He said Dennel and the eldest child will testify.

Arnt said Hardin gave pornographic materials to the child, including video of a man teaching a girl about sex. Arnt said semen stains were found on the floor, walls and ceiling of the child’s bedroom. He said Hicks admitted to having sexual acts with the child.

He said Meintz gave multiple statements, including statements that the acts only occurred in Tennessee, that he called the victim his “fiancé,” and that he did not have sex with her in the state of Georgia.

Arnt said several boys will testify to having sex with the two children.

Assistant public defender and Hardin’s attorney Doug Woodruff advised the jury to listen carefully. He said the presence of semen stains does not mean Hardin committed a crime. Woodruff said there is no clear evidence of a crime, but only testimonies “saying” that they “saw these things take place.”

Meintz’s attorney Sean Low said Meintz was living next door to Hardin in Tennessee. He said the victim’s grandmother moved in with Meintz because of an illness she was suffering. He said the victim would call Meintz and a romantic relationship had begun. Low said that once Hardin moved to Georgia, no sexual relationship occurred between Meintz and the victim. The victim was 13 years old at the time and Meintz was in his late 20s, Low said.

“Shawn Meintz is not David Hardin, nor Kevin Hicks,” Low said.

Hicks’ attorney, Steven Miller, said Hicks’ interrogation with Chickamauga police was “an exercise in bone-throwing.” He said that once the video confession of Hicks is played, the jury can see how Hicks was tricked into giving a “garden variety false statement.” He said authorities intellectually overpowered Hicks into a confession. He said authorities “put words in his mouth after his denial.”

“There is not going to be a smoking gun in this case,” Miller said.

“There is not enough evidence to bring in any of these guys,” he said.

Correction: This story, both online and in the Dec. 4 print edition, previously stated that Preston James Dennel was found guilty of rape, child molestation, sexual battery and statutory rape. These were the initial charges against Dennel, but he was found guilty only of a merged count of child molestation and statutory rape. The Messenger regrets the error. A printed retraction will run on Dec. 9.