LaGRANGE — The trial of a 55-year-old man accused of child molestation continued Thursday in Troup County Superior Court.

Earnest D. Reese, 55, of Whitesville Road, was arrested in LaGrange on July 19 and charged with aggravated child molestation, child molestation and incest. He was indicted by a grand jury in September and released from Troup County Jail on bond on Oct. 15, according to court and jail records.

Prosecutors alleges Reese sexually assaulted a minor at a home he was sharing with another family member sometime between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2012.

The child took the witness stand Thursday, and testified that the incident happened at an age that consistent with a prior interview with a forensic interviewer at Twin Cedars, a child advocacy center in LaGrange.

The child never told anyone about the incident because Reese told him to “keep it a secret,” according to testimony.

Ken Gordon, a LaGrange attorney who represents Reese, asked the alleged victim at one point if the child denied making any statements to the forensic interviewer.

“What does deny mean?” the child asked. Gordon explained and continued to volley questions at the child.

As the testimony wore on, the child grew more secure on the witness stand. A sibling of the child was apparently in the bedroom where the molestation allegedly happened, and was “fake sleeping” during the incident, the child said.

“Did you hear your (sibling) snoring?” Gordon asked.

“I don’t remember! It was five years ago!” the child shouted back.

Growing impatient during the more than hourlong testimony, the child at one point said, “I thought this was going to take shorter. How much longer is this going to take?”

The trail continues today in Troup County Superior Court.

Read LaGrange Daily News online and in print for updates as developments occur.