T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Charles Olman listens to testimony during the second day of his trial.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A Harmony House interviewer testified during the second day of Charles Olman’s rape trial on Wednesday.

Olman, 49, of Bridgeport is charged with two counts of first-degree felony rape of a 7-year-old girl.

He is accused of committing the offenses from 2018 to 2020, when the alleged victim reportedly disclosed the matter.

On Wednesday, defense attorney Aaron Miller cross examined Scott Steele, an interviewer with the Harmony House Children’s Advocacy Center.

Miller has argued that the medical evidence does not support the girl’s story.

Miller questioned Steele about apparent vagueness or inconsistencies in the October interview of the child regarding who, specifically, might have committed illegal acts. Miller also questioned Steele about the second, November interview, when specific accusations were leveled against Olman.

“In the second interview (the girl) basically comes in and says, “I’m going to tell you what (Olman) did to me,” Miller said.

“You would agree with me that not in every instance where a child makes an allegation of sexual abuse, that sexual abuse actually occured, correct?” Miller asked.

Steele agreed that not every case has merit.

“The vast majority of disclosures of children are usually true disclosures,” Steele said.

“Are you aware or not of whether (the girl) was punished for not disclosing in the first interview?” Miller asked.

Steele said he did not know.

Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan took his turn to further question Steele about the details of the girl’s interview, which he indicated seemed to suggest illicit activity a child might not imagine.

“It is your job as an interviewer not to lead the child to an answer,” Flanagan said.

“I want the information to be from the child,” Steele said.

Flanagan said the girl “took the initiative” in voluntarily providing details about the alleged offenses.

The jury will also view the child’s recorded interview and hear testimony from the girl via live video feed.

The sheriff department’s therapy dog, Jersey, is on hand to comfort her during testimony.

The trial is expected to continue through the week before Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Frank Fregiato.