Sexsomnia and Buried Feet: A Case of False Outcry, Genuine Recant and the Parasomnia Defense

Monday, August 4, 2025

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM CT

Location: Lone Star B

Earn 1.25 Credit Hours

Target Audience: Prosecutor, Forensic Interviewer

Primary Presenter(s)

Andrew Wolf

First Assistant Criminal District Attorney
Navarro County District Attorney

Co-Presenter(s)

Lydia Bailey (she/her/hers)

Program Director and Lead Forensic Interviewer
Navarro County Children's Advocacy Center

A case review that begins with a fanciful, incredible outcry involving video surveillance, dead bodies and a best-friend's dad, ending in a prosecution that included the defense of "sexsomnia." This review will discuss the challenges faced by the Multidisciplinary Team and decisions taken concerning the original outcry, the child's recant interview and the defense of parasomnia: a sleep disorder that the defendant claimed caused him to sexually assault his step-daughter.

Learning Objectives:

Assess outcries and recant interviews and develop methodology for best presenting them to jurors.
Develop strategies for confronting "expert witnesses" in uncommon areas of practice.
Learn the value of the MDT approach to enhance the efficacy of investigation and prosecution in complex child sexual abuse cases.