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State attorney on Henry Porter trial: 'This is a case of manipulation'

It's the second day of the trial against Henry Porter. The former bishop and founder of an evangelical church is accused of two counts of sexual battery of children.

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Opening testimonies were delivered and a jury heard from the first alleged victim in the trial against Henry Porter Sr.

Porter is charged with two counts of sexual battery of a child under the age of 12. Each individual count has a minimum sentencing of 25 years in jail and a maximum of life in prison. 

The 74-year-old was arrested in January 2020 after more than 10 people came forward with allegations. Porter and the Westcoast Church, which he served as a pastor for, have had a long history in the Sarasota area. A portion of a street in the city is named in his honor.

The prosecution began with opening statements Tuesday laying out the framework for their case. State Attorney Ryan Felix spoke directly to the jury and called this a "case of manipulation."

"Henry Lee Porter harnessed the word of God to sexually abuse children," Felix said.

The defense agreed, this is a case of manipulation. But not from Porter. 

 "The manipulation is coming from witnesses that you're going to hear from in this trial," Defense Attorney Brett McIntosh said.

The jury is expected to hear from two alleged victims in the weeklong trial. One of them, Porter gave a eulogy at his father's funeral, officiated his wedding and christened his child in the church.

That man, now in his 40s, detailed how Porter groomed and abused him during the years he grew up in the church. He has asked to remain anonymous. 

 "Then we would put our clothes back on," the alleged victim said. "He would always pray, have us confess our faults to each other."

The alleged victim said he was brought into a private room in the church that only Porter had a key to. Graphic descriptions were given of oral and anal sex between the two. 

The alleged victim testified that part of why he decided to come forward was because when he went back to the church, he feared other young children were still being abused. 

While the alleged victim's allegations are now decades old, the sexual battery of a child under 18 is exempt from the statute of limitations.  

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