By Trace Christenson

Battle Creek Enquirer

Two people testified Thursday they learned Troy Estree was sexually assaulting a young relative long before authorities began their investigation.

Katherine Reed and Timothy Annarino both told prosecutors that the alleged victim told them in spring 2014 that Estree, 46, was assaulting her. He was arrested in August of that year.

Reed, 17, described herself as a very close friend of the girl, now 17, since they were in the seventh grade.

"She told me how he would do things to her," Reed said. "He would kiss her. She was very confused about that."

Testimony came in the third day of Estree's trial in Calhoun County Circuit Court. He is charged with nine counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct between January and August 2014 with the girl, who is a relative and was 15 at the time.

Teen testifies she was repeatedly raped by police officer

The Enquirer does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

The trial continues before Circuit Judge John Hallacy on Friday, when the defense could begin presenting witnesses.

The girl, who had been estranged from Estree for 13 years, testified for five hours on Wednesday and said she told Reed about the assaults.

She wanted a relationship with Estree, Reed told Kalamazoo Assistant Prosecutor Michael Stein, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case.

Reed said the girl told her Estree kissed her on the lips "and it became more than kissing. They were taking off clothes. She said he helped her unhook her bra and get her pants down and then she said he put his penis in her butt."

Reed said the girl told her not to report anything she said to authorities. "She did not want to get away from him. She enjoyed the time together."

Reed recalled another account from the girl who said she was washing dishes when Estree came in and pulled down her pants and had anal sex. Another time, the girl told Reed, Estree sexually assaulted her on a park bench while he was in uniform and on duty as an Emmett Township police officer. Estree was fired from the department after his arrest.

The girl testified Wednesday about the sexual assault on a bench at Bridge Park in Emmett Township but defense attorneys noted that she never described the alleged incident in the kitchen while washing dishes.

Reed said the girl told her that Estree sent her a naked photo of himself.

Reed told Stein she regrets fulfilling her promise to not telling anyone. "I was foolish and I didn't want to lose a friend," she said.

Annarino, 19, said he does not live in this area and does not know the girl but had a conversation with someone identified as Sadie Smith on Facebook. He said they first exchanged messages on another web site and then messages on Facebook.

"She said how (he) was doing bad things to her," Annarino said. "She told me how he touched her vagina and she told me he was a cop in the Battle Creek area. I told her she should contact police."

During her testimony Wednesday, the girl said she wrote messages as Sadie Smith on Facebook and described her situation to a stranger.

Detective Sgt. Paul Gonyeau of the Michigan State Police Technical Service Unit testified he inspected the cell phones seized from Estree and the girl in August 2014.

He told the jury that Estree's phone was wiped clean of text messages but that records from the cell phone provider between May and August 2014 showed 1,900 text messages had been exchanged between his phone and the one he gave to the girl.

Gonyeau presented several of the messages from the girl's phone and Facebook page. They included statements from Estree that he hated himself and, "I failed you and you make it feel like it's your fault."

The girl wrote, "I am used to this. This is filth. It is wrong on so many levels."

In another, the girl wrote in a text: "When you first touching me I said OK. I didn't know what to do. Now I am used to it. I think it is normal. I feel like filth for the longest time. We are screwed up and this will never be normal again."

And later she wrote in a text: "I kind of feel like filth and am kind of afraid of you. You promise you won't do this to" other kids.

In June 2014, she wrote: "You would miss the physical attention, Bro. This what you would miss. I am a side toy for you."

Contact Trace Christenson at 966-0685. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson