Trial begins for Youngwood man accused of rape, kidnapping

An 18-year-old woman told a Westmoreland County jury that she was raped and sexually assaulted for hours earlier this year at a Youngwood home.

“It seemed like it lasted forever,” she testified Tuesday during the first day in the rape trial of Brandon Giron.

Giron, 23, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint and other offenses in connection to the alleged assault investigators said happened Jan. 3.

Giron’s accuser testified she voluntarily went to Giron’s home shortly after 2:30 a.m. to smoke marijuana and after she rejected his overtures to use cocaine, he forced her to consume a small amount of the drug, she claimed.

“He started kissing and groping me and removed my clothes. I was so out of it, I didn’t know what was happening but I told him no,” she testified.

She said she knew him for about three months, and they weren’t romantically involved, she testified.

She told jurors Giron bound her hands and repeatedly raped her for more than three hours.

Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice told jurors that Giron’s accuser had pictures taken of bruises on her body and several hours after the alleged sexual assaults went to a local hospital, where tests were performed seeking evidence of rape. DNA evidence linking Giron to his accuser was recovered by investigators and medical personnel, Rice said.

Defense attorney Brian Aston did not address the allegations in his opening statement to the jury nor did he indicate whether Giron will testify.

“Please be fair. This is about Mr. Giron, and you have a difficult decision asked of you. You are going to tell a young lady (she) didn’t meet your burden (of proof) and you don’t get justice, or you are going to label this young man,” Aston said.

The trial before Common Pleas Judge Rita Hathaway will continue Wednesday.