ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The alleged victim took the stand and testified during the second day of Logan Cochran’s trial for rape.

Cochran, 21, of 69740 Ohio St., Martins Ferry is accused of two counts of first-degree felony rape and one count of fourth-degree felony gross sexual imposition that allegedly occurred May 24, 2022. Cochran’s defense attorney is arguing that the sexual encounter was consensual.

Cochran was 19 at the time of the incident, which allegedly occurred during a post-graduation gathering of three young men including Cochran and three young women held at a house in Martins Ferry belonging to one of the other men. The other men were also older than 18. Two of the women, including the alleged victim, were older than 18, and one was 17.

In response to questioning by Belmont County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Gagin, the alleged victim described the events that she said began May 23. She said the three women intended to drink alcohol and have fun at the residence. She said one of the other women knew the homeowner, but she was unfamiliar with the other two men and did not know Cochran. She said the two groups did not overly interact and there was no “flirting.”

She said there was drinking and some marijuana use, adding that she once had two “hits” and did not feel drunk. She said most of the drinking occurred from 7:30-10:30 p.m. She said Cochran and the homeowner took the other man back to his home and returned after midnight. She said the women had fallen asleep on the downstairs sectional. The 17-year-old would remain asleep throughout the alleged incidents, and the homeowner and the other woman went upstairs together.

The alleged victim said Cochran began attempting to wake her and laid his head on her lower legs. She made two brief video recordings that Gagin played for the jury, noting the times recorded were 4:34 a.m. and 4:40 a.m. The alleged victim was heard objecting to Cochran touching her.

She said she was irritated and annoyed by Cochran’s behavior and went upstairs to the bathroom, then locked herself in a spare room to sleep since she had been to the house before and knew it had a lock. She said Cochran lifted the latch with a card and entered the room, laid on the bed and asked her to stay until he fell asleep. She said she sat on the edge of the bed, intending to leave when he fell asleep, but Cochran grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on the bed. She said she “froze” and went “numb” while the alleged crime took place.

Gagin continued questioning.

“Nobody knows what they’ll do in the moment,” he said. “Do you have a sense of why you think you froze?”

She said she was “numb” and “scared” and caught off-guard. In response to Gagin’s questions, she said Cochran made no threats. She said that afterward she felt “disgusting,” “gross” and mad at herself for even being there.

A lengthy cross-examination followed. Cochran’s defense attorney, Michael Probst, referred to the alleged victim’s statement to the sexual assault nurse examiner and her report to Martins Ferry police officers and said there were apparent discrepancies between them and her testimony on the stand. When questioned about several details, she said she did not remember.

“Is there any reason why you don’t remember a lot of this stuff?” Probst asked. “You’re here testifying about something you believe is very important, and your memory is not very good. Is there a reason?”

She said she was “traumatized” and had blocked many of her memories from that time. She also said the events happened two years ago.

Probst said her statements to police indicated she had met Cochran before. He also said the statements indicated she had also been at the house the night before.

Probst said there were other discrepancies, saying her statements at the time indicate Cochran followed her upstairs to the bathroom, but now she said he did not. He said she now indicated that when Cochran was allegedly drinking the alcohol the women bought, she did not confront him about it but instead told one of the other women who had physically purchased the alcohol. But that woman had testified earlier that it was the alleged victim who confronted Cochran. He pointed out other apparent discrepancies.

Probst played the police officers’ body camera recordings of the interview with the alleged victim. He also noted the three women went to a West Virginia gas station and misrepresented their ages to purchase alcohol.

She said she was unable to leave the house, since she did not have a license and the car she arrived in belonged to one of the other women, who was intoxicated. She said she did not want to call family for a ride and did not have money for a cab.

She became emotional about halfway through the cross examination. Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter called a recess, then continued.

Gagin said he expects the trial could conclude today.