Fells Acres Sexual Abuse Trials: 1986-87

After Gerald's conviction, there was some doubt as to whether the state would move ahead with the charges against Violet and her daughter, Cheryl, but on May 28, 1987, jury selection began for this new trial. The charges against them were of the same nature as those against Gerald: by the time they went to the jury, Violet was charged with two rapes and three indecent assaults and Cheryl with three rapes and four indecent assaults. In the end only four children testified against them but, as with Gerald, they recounted shocking tales: how they had been fondled by the women, had objects inserted in them, had been made to fondle the women, and, in the case of the boy, had oral sex performed on him. Much was made in this trial, too, of the claims that while these acts were being performed in the "magic room" or elsewhere, they were being photographed by Gerald Amirault. The state then charged that the Amiraults did this to sell the photographs to dealers or fanciers of child pornography, although no such photograph of the Fells Acres children was ever produced.

Violet Amirault and her daughter Cheryl Amirault LeFave speak with reporters after they were found guilty of child molestation. (AP/Wide World Photos)

One issue hanging over both trials was how such things could have been going on over a period of time yet none of the children spoke up until well after the initial claims of M.C. The prosecution got several children to testify that it was because the Amiraults constantly threatened that they would kill them and their parents. The little boy in this trial, for instance, said that Cheryl had "hurt" a bird and a squirrel in front of him and then said that "this is going to happen to your parents" if he ever spoke of what was going on.

When it came time for the defense, they introduced 23 former teachers or teachers' aides at the school and five parents who testified they had never seen any indications of any of the activities described by the children. All testified, in fact, that the children seemed eager to be at the school and that they interacted easily with the Amiraults The most they conceded to the prosecution's crossexamination was that there were times when the defendants were alone at the school with some children.

But once again, a jury chose to believe the stories of the children and returned on June 13 with a verdict that found Violet and Cheryl guilty of all charges. On July 15, the two women were sentenced to 8-20 years in prison.