Tommy Mason denies any sexual contact with young daughters of family friend, jury will get case this afternoon

Tommy Mason.jpgTommy Dee Mason in Madison County Circuit Court Monday, Oct. 16, 2012, during jury selection for his trial on sexual abuse charges. (Brian Lawson/al.com)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- With his family split apart and currently unemployed, Tommy Mason was adamant in testimony this morning that he did not touch the young daughters of a close friend in a sexual way.

Mason, 45, of Toney, said he considered the two girls -- who were both under 10 at the time of the alleged incidents -- like his own daughters and he repeatedly denied their accounts of inappropriate touching.

Mason was the only defense witness called by his attorney Bruce Gardner.

Mason was arrested in May 2009 and charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12. The charges carries a prison term between 2 and 20 years.

The timeline on the incidents isn't precise, but the girls testified that they were both touched late at night during birthday party sleepovers.

Mason's wife, who testified she and her children are now living apart from Mason, described that he often played games with her children and the two girls and that at some point she told him they were getting too big to put in his lap.

She also testified that on the night of the one of the last birthday parties where the kids were all together, she slept on a recliner in the living room with the roomful of girls and did not see any inappropriate contact with Mason.

But under cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Leann White Mason again repeated a statement he made to investigators that it was possible he could have touched the children's private parts, not on purpose, but in picking them up or moving them onto his lap.

White questioned how he was moving them, that he could accidentally touch them in that way.

"When dealing with kids, I guess yes, but with no sexual intent," Mason said.

The seven-woman, five-man jury will begin deliberations after closing arguments.

Circuit Judge Donna Pate asked jurors to be ready to hear closing arguments at 12:30 p.m.

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