Mason City, IA- A Mason City massage therapist accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl is taking the stand in his own defense.
The state is rested its case Thursday morning in the trial of Steven Page.
The defense attorney was critical of the prosecution's final witness, the Mason City Police investigator who worked on the case.
Officer Jeremy Ryal admits there is no hard evidence showing page penetrated his 14-year-old accuser's genitals with his finger.
The defense first called Page's wife Mary to the stand, followed by his son Bryce. They say Page couldn't have bought his accuser alcohol on two separate occasions, once in September of 2008, and once on New Year’s Eve 2008. They say Page was with them.
Several of page's nearly 300 clients took the stand after his family members. All are saying page never made them uncomfortable while working near their private areas.
The final witness of the day was Page himself. He talked about the first massage he gave his accuser. He says the girl’s mother brought her to his office.
"In April of 2008 when she was 12 her mom got her a massage which her mom was in the room, and when she made another appointment for her in May which she was in the room," Page said.
Page is also disagreeing with the testimony from a doctor of massage therapy. He says there are no set rules for working with minors.
"There are several different instructors that teach ethics, and everyone teaches it differently," He said.
Page also talked about the adoption of his grandkids. He says the charges are making a huge impact on his family’s life.
More of Page's clients are expected to take the stand starting Friday morning. He will return later in the day for further testimony.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of ten years in prison.
