Transcripts For KNTV Dateline NBC 20240622

Did you ever have consensual sex with him . Never. Prosecutors said she was lying. She was insulted that you didnt believe her. I was insulted that she thought someone would. A tutor and her pupil breaking all of the rules, but who was telling the truth . We both knew what we were doing was wrong. He owned me. I never had as much evidence against someone as i had in this case. Im lester holt, and this is dateline. Heres Keith Morrison with dangerous liaisons. You two were in cohoots. Reporter it didnt have to end here. He keeps stating things that he has no evidence for as though its fact. Reporter with attorneys at war. Youve got the evidence. No. Dont just say that. It was theater of the absurd. Reporter detectives upset. I thought it was disgusting. I thought it was just really horrible the way they dragged that family through the mud. Reporter nor did there have to be a sobbing witness. Im trying to be honest up here, and its so disrespectful. Just a minute. Reporter even a judge this is getting out of control. Reporter visibly on edge. Victim bashing. Reporter it didnt have to turn out into a battle royale. Played ought for all the world to see. It didnt have to go that way at all or end this way. We the jury on count one reporter thats all hindsight now. Where a person begins a story as twisted and strange as this one can seem arbitrary perhaps, but in this case, to us it made sense to begin on a friday morning in april 2013 in the city of grand rapids, michigan, when the phone rang on the desk of detective amy lowrie. It was a call from an attorney who reported that a mother of a High School Sophomore had seen something that couldnt be unseen. The boys mother had suspected something and had taken his phone because it was broken and had the information transferred to another phone to view what was on his phone. Reporter and what was on it . Well, besides the flood of texts and photos you would expect to see on any teenagers phone, was this. It was grainy but unmistakable. A scantily clad woman, a woman clearly much older than the boy. The photo along with the accompanying Text Messages longing, urgent, breathless, left no doubt whatsoever in the mind of the detective. Immediately it was evident that there was a romantic relationship going on. Reporter so how did you view that from a legal and ethical and moral point of view . Obviously it needed to be investigated. Reporter detective lowrie was experienced in matters like the one before her now. Shes a grand Rapids Police detective but for nearly a decade has been assigned to the childrens Assessment Center as one of five fulltime investigators working on cases involving the sexual abuse of children. Five people fulltime in a town the size of grand rapids, that tells you something, doesnt it . Correct. Reporter do you find that dispiriting . Very. I think most people would find it dispiriting the amount of cases that we have to investigate of this nature. Reporter but this one needed to be investigated not only because of what the detective saw on the phone, no. It was more than that. The lawyer who called the detective worked for the Catholic Diocese of grand rapids and told her the young man in question was a student and star athlete here at grand rapids Catholic Central high school. And the woman worked here. She wasnt just any school employee. She was the Students School appointed tutor. She is a person of authority. Obviously an inappropriate relationship. I knew she was in her 30s. And that he was only 15 years old. So regardless, it was an illegal relationship. Reporter detective lowrie went over to see the boys parents. Had they questioned their son . No. The mother hadnt questioned her son at all. I think she was unsure how to bring it up. She knew that he would most likely be angry about it. Reporter she wanted somebody to put a stop to this . Absolutely. Reporter so next the detective went to Catholic Central high school, and after meeting with the administrators, pulled the young man, then a sophomore, out of class middle of the afternoon. What did he tell you . Initially he denied that there was any relationship taking place. He said that they were friends but that nothing had happened. Reporter you knew that wasnt so. Right. Based on the Text Messages. Reporter did you explain that to him . I did. I read him some of the Text Messages, and thats when he admitted that there was a sexual relationship. Reporter it often goes that way with teenager said detective lowrie. As any parent of one would understand. Stages of denial, which in this case over a series of interviews finally gave way to what the boy seemed to see as the crux of the matter. He thought that they should be allowed to have the relationship because he was mature enough and they loved each other and should be together. Its very common that they dont see themselves as the victim in this. Reporter its where it all gets kind of strange, doesnt it . Yes. Reporter and now, it was time for the detective to talk to the tutor at the center of the case, the one in that photo in the cell phone. Abigail simon. One of the many things the detective wanted to know was who made the first move. When we return, the tale of the tape, but what was true and what wasnt . Who initiated it . We never had sex. I know you had sex. He told me that. I want to know who initiated that. Im not answering that. So what im saying is, people like options. When you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. It dont matter, day or night. Use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. The point is, you have options. Oh, how convenient. Hey. Crab cakes, what are you looking at . Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. I take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. Because it gives me. Zero heartburn prilosec otc. The number 1 doctorrecommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. One pill each morning. 24 hours. Zero heartburn. Hmm. Mom, whats a best buy . Um, well, its a great product. Its what you buy if youre a smart shopper. Then, why are we buying cascade instead of finish . The amazing clean of finish was rated a best buy three years in a row. Switch and see the difference. If always infinity. Ance two performances in a day with you can make a whole night of karaoke. Always infinity. The worlds first foam pad absorbs 10x its weight feels like nothing. Infinity. Always. Rewrite the rules the worlds first degree motionsense. Antiperspirant with unique microcapsules, activated by movement, that release bursts of freshness all day. Motionsense. Protection to keep you moving. Degree. It wont let you down. A. To eat healthy. Yet up to 90 fall short in getting. Key nutrients from food alone. Lets do more. Add one a day mens. Complete with key nutrients we may need. Plus it helps support healthy Blood Pressure with vitamin d and magnesium. One a day mens. So wrap them in the comfort andy protection most of pampers swaddlers the only diaper trusted to be the 1 choice of hospitals pampers its from daddy. Sfx dads voice i love you baby girl. Duracell quantum lasts longer in 99 of devices so you can always be there. Well, things in the bedroom have alwaysyeah, no complaints. Weve always had a lot of fun, but i wanted to try something new. And im into that. So were using ky love. Its a pleasure gel that magnifies both of our sensations. Right, i mean, for both of us, just. Yeah, it just takes all those awesome feelings you usually feel and it just makes them. Rawr. Dare to feel more with new ky love. A cloud darkened the joy of spring in grand rapids, michigan, that april of 2013. The mother of a sophomore at one of the citys most prestigious high schools, Catholic Central, had found this photo on a cell phone her son had been using. Couldnt just let it go. He was 15. The woman was his tutor. And so before long detective amy lowrie was assigned to figure out what was going on. The fact that the adult was female and the child male didnt really make any difference to her. I think theres a double standard in society where they view a female in this situation as victims, but i think a lot of society just doesnt feel the same way about boys. There are consequences to this type of relationship, you know, even with boys. Reporter but remember that series of interviews and shifting stories from the boy . When the detective got him to admit there was something between them, an affair consummated in the tutors gleaming highrise condo, the boy announced that it was he who started it and not her, that it wasnt her fault. So what would the tutor, Abigail Simon, say . Youre not under arrest, okay . Youre free to leave. But theres something that we need to talk about. Okay. All right . Reporter and when ms. Simon heard that Text Messages were in question, she knew why the detective was there. That pupil of hers. Do you know who im talking about now . Okay. Weve just become close this year. I tried to help him change his life around. Reporter but when the subject turned to the specifics of their relationship, which the detective felt was plainly outlined in those racy texts and photos, well, a surprise. He calls you baby girl. You call him baby boy. Do you think thats appropriate . No. I care so much for him. I do. I adore him. I dont even know what to say about it. Reporter who initiated it . I mean, i i we never actually had like we never had sex. I know you had sex. He told me that. I can read the Text Messages. Its not a question of whether you guys had sex or not. I want to know who initiated it. Who asked who to do what . Im not answering that. I dont know what your definition is then. Her response was i dont know what your definition of sex is. Reporter a little clintonesque isnt it . I would agree with that. Reporter did she tell you then what her definition was . No. She ended the interview. Reporter that was it . Correct. Reporter the detective confiscated abbys cell phone. And later that day, the diocese of grand rapids fired her as a tutor. She was told by police order not to have any contact whatsoever with the young man. Detective lowrie continued her investigation and before long was approached by other people at the school saying they had concerns about ms. Simon for a while. Some of the teachers felt her behavior was inappropriate around some other students. Reporter so then detective lowrie sought out those other students and heard Something Else may have happened. Something with another young man. There was another boy who said there was an incident in the library where they were talking, they were flirting, which they had for some time, and he kissed her. Reporter and did she tell him to stop, go away, this is inappropriate . He described it as a short kiss, and he said that that cant happen again. And she says, no, it cant. And that was the end of the story. Reporter as investigators dug deeper, another detective joined the case. Dave gillem called in for his uncanny ability to plumb a cell phone for almost anything its ever done. On abby simons iphone, that was not an easy thing to do. She had erased most of the Text Messages between her and the victim, and i was able to recover many of them. We dont know how many there were. But we did recover thousands and thousands of Text Messages. Reporter thousands . And this is material that had been erased. Material she chose to erase. Correct. Reporter what did that imply to you . She was hiding it. She knew it was not something she wanted people to see so she deleted it. Reporter the sun soon set on another school year. Abby moved back to her parents place, a twohour drive from grand rapids. Summer came. And then the detective discovered that her nocontact order wasnt enough to keep abby simon away from her teenaged lover. She tweeted him and gave him the information on how to contact her because i had her phone. So he couldnt call her anymore or text her anymore. She had changed phone numbers. Somehow he was able to email her and call her. Reporter and at least once they managed to meet in person. In fact, he was very upset at being told he couldnt see her again, right . Yes. He was in love. Reporter in fact, he created a new email account. Jose diaz 27. The photos and declarations of everlasting love flew between them at the speed of infatuation. In early august, three months after the relationship came to light, Abigail Simon drove from her parents house to the gym, and there was the police car. This was her mug shot. She was charged with several counts of criminal Sexual Conduct and accosting a minor for immoral ap purposes, but she soon made bail. And as the case against her was being prepared back in grand rapids, she sat down with us to say that everything weve been told about this socalled teacher child love story was altogether wrong. I read the police report, too. When i read it, i was, like, oh, yeah, she is guilty. None of those things were true. Reporter this was no love story, said Abigail Simon. No. More like a nightmare. Coming up after school, behind closed doors. He didnt look like a 15yearold boy. He didnt act like a 15yearold boy. He was a monster. This was not the sort of place people are often arrested, not among the fine big homes and expensive lawns of grand blanc, michigan. This is where Abigail Simon grew up. Her father a successful attorney. Both parents graduates of notre dame. But this is where she was pulled over, arrested and charged with criminal Sexual Conduct for having a relationship with her then15yearold Catholic Central High School Pupil and where, in november 2014 she sat down with us in the Family Living room. How does it feel to be you right now . Well, today its scary because this is the first time im sharing this with anyone other than my therapist and my lawyers, my parents. I feel empowered to do it finally. Ive been holding on to it for so long. Reporter holding on to what exactly . Well, abby simon told us that everything youve heard about her relationship with the young man is a lie perpetuated by his family and overzealous detectives. Its hard because the way its being portrayed in my story thats already been told by them is so not the person i am. Reporter abbys story . After attending a a masters degree in Academic Advising she moved to grand rapids and was offered a position in that very specialty by the Catholic Diocese. But soon, she said, she wasnt so much advising as tutoring athletes at two catholic high schools. One of them was that boy who she said was struggling with a 1. 7 grade point average. So she helped him as much as she could often late into the evenings as she said she did with all her students. Then, said abby, it was january 2013, and the incident occurred. The thing that started it all. It happened, she said, at the end of a group study session. He waited until everyone left, and then he was so angry that i didnt give him any attention, that i wasnt helping him. And that i didnt care about him. And i was like thats a slap in the face to me because ive done everything for you. He slapped my face and said, no, thats a slap in the face. Reporter wait a minute. He slapped your face . Slapped my face. No, thats a slap in the face. Reporter hes 15 years old. You could get him kicked out of school for that. But i didnt want to. He was the scariest person alive. Reporter the scariest person alive . Abby simon was telling us something she had never told the detectives investigating this case nor even friends or family at the time she said it was going on. The appropriate response would have been immediate and it would be over. I mean, hed have to atone somehow. You were the one in charge. Did you not feel as if you could do that . Why . He didnt care if he got in trouble. He shut me down. Reporter and after . Abby said she became terrified of the big athletic young man already over six feet and nearly 200 pounds though he was just 15. Why so frightened of a teenaged boy . Well, she said, part of the reason was she had been a victim of Domestic Violence before. Back in 2007 when she was working at a retail store in chicago and had a boyfriend whom she claimed was abusive. I went into his apartment, and i said, this isnt going to work. And thats when he lost his mind on me and slammed me to the ground. Reporter do you remember what you felt like . I thought i was going to die. He told me to take my last breath, that he was going to kill me. This is how im going to die . I thought he was going to snap my neck. Thats what it felt like he was trying to do. Reporter abby said she ran for her life then. Her father, the attorney, persuaded her to go to the police and then eventually to get this restraining order though soon after that, she tried, against the judges wishes, to undo it, afraid the man would find out and hurt her, she said. The incident changed her life, said abby. I packed my stuff up and moved back home at age like 27 or 28, and like the city i loved and the job i loved was forever gone. Reporter still bothers you to think about that. Was he ever charged with anything . No. Reporter anyway, that story, said abby, could explain why she didnt report her young student at Catholic Central high when, her claim, the boy slapped her. Nor when, according to her, he stalked her and showed up at starbucks and other places near her highrise condo and made her give him the key to her apartment. Intimidated her enough she let him get control of her phone and he used it to send texts to her friends and he even tried to control who she could see and even when she went out of town. On three separate occasions, she claims, he sexually assaulted her. You know that first time if he raped you, the right thing to do is to go to the police. Hed be charged. Who would believe that . He was 15. Who is going to believe that . Reporter that lingerie photo the boys mother found, it wasnt a comeon, she said. The photo was taken in selfdefense. It was her cry for help. I wasnt posing. I was doing what he wanted me to do. I wasnt assaulted that night because i did that. Reporter did you ever have consensual sex with him . Never. Reporter the proof, she offered . One text. The smoking gun, she claimed. One out of, well, actually thousands of apparently loving and frankly explicit texes. This one, though, is so explicit we cant show you the whole text but it includes a line that suggests sex. Reading in part, never put you through that again, baby girl. And that, said abby, is why she asked the detective what her definition of sex was. To abby it wasnt sex, it was sexual assault. He didnt look like a 15yearold boy. He didnt act like a 15yearold boy. He was a monster. Reporter in our interview, abby simon had just offered a stunning defense to a charge of having sex with a boy. Turned herself from perpetrator to victim. The question was would it hold up in court . Coming up abby simons telling Text Messages to her friends. I dont care if hes 20 or 50. I just need my heart skipping. And her former student tells all. We both knew what we were doing was wrong. Why are you deleting these photos . Because my teeth are yellow. Why dont you use a whitening toothpaste . Im afraid its bad for my teeth. Try crest 3d white. Crest 3d White Diamond strong toothpaste and rinse. Gently whiten. And fortify weak spots. Use together for 2 times stronger enamel. Crest 3d white. Hmm. Mom, whats a best buy . Um, well, its a great product. Its what you buy if youre a smart shopper. Then, why are we buying cascade instead of finish . The amazing clean of finish was rated a best buy three years in a row. Switch and see the difference. I take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. Because it gives me. Zero heartburn prilosec otc. The number 1 doctorrecommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. One pill each morning. 24 hours. Zero heartburn. As the sunshine faded and western michigan settled into a late fall, it appeared the case against Abigail Simon was headed to a courtroom. And so a veteran prosecutor named Helen Brinkman was assigned the case. It was to be her last before retirement. Shed made a career out of prosecuting sex crimes. You go after rapists and abusers on behalf of victims, and you have a situation where theres a person youre prosecuting who claims she is the victim. Yes. What a way to end a 25yearlong career, to have someone who was preying on a 15yearold boy for her own gratification turn around and make the child responsible. I still have a difficult time wrapping my mind around that. Reporter still, in an effort to avoid what was sure to be a very public, very painful trial, the Prosecutors Office offered abby simon a plea deal. Plead guilty to one count of criminal Sexual Conduct and accept oneyear behind bars, which with time off for good behavior, would likely mean abby would be free in matter of months. I know we as a team really wanted them to accept that plea offer so that that kid didnt have to go through any of that. The damage and harm that comes from this kind of trial to a kid, you just cant understand until youre that kid and youre that kids family. Reporter but Abigail Simon turned the deal down cold. Some people probably thought what the heck were you thinking, right . Most people. Reporter so why did you do it . I was threatened and stalked and assaulted and scared out of my mind, and then id have to pay for his consequences forever. Reporter forever because had she taken the plea deal, abby would be placed on the sexual offenders list, and that wouldnt ever go away. So now, now youre facing this trial. Its not going to be easy, is it . Uhuh. Next year it was a guarantee that id be sitting at that table for thanksgiving if i took the deal. Guaranteed. Id see my sister that just got engaged. Id be at her wedding no matter what. I couldnt do it. Reporter why . Because he owned me. I needed to be able to get my story out, and i couldnt live like that. Reporter and so in november 2014, kent county courthouse in grand rapids, Abigail Simon entered the courtroom to fight charges that theoretically could put her in prison for life. And to do so by claiming that she was the victim of a big, strong abusive boy. To which prosecutor Helen Brinkman replied, who does she think shes kidding . What this may be is practicing a play in the theater of the absurd. Reporter abby was certainly not sexually assaulted is, said the prosecutor. This, she told the jury, was an extremely inappropriate love story as evidenced by the testimony of the young mans mother. Did you ever confront your son about this . No, i didnt. Why not . Because i knew he would run to her and tell her and it wouldnt be able to be exposed. He was madly in love with ms. Simon with his whole heart and his whole soul. Reporter the law is absolutely clear, said the prosecution. Abbys behavior was illegal. The boy was 15. The age of consent with a teacher is 18. Why, they ask, would abby simon take him on day trips to chicago and notre dame where this photo was taken of the smiling couple, if not for love . It was a disturbing story, they said. This told through abbys Text Messages. The prosecutor called one by one abbys friends and had them read messages abby sent them reflecting thousands of other texts that sounded very much like a woman in love with a boy. All that matters is that our hearts are skipping beats. All i need. I dont care if hes 20 or 50. I just need my heart skipping, and thats all it is doing with this boy, parentheses, child. Its concerning the only company i enjoy is a 15yearold. I will be upbeat starting now. Do you deny receiving that text . No. The text after the picture of his face said, this is my child or thats my child, Something Like that. I never have had as much evidence against someone as i had in this case. Never. She had texted so many people bragging about her inappropriate relationship with this child and knowing that it was wrong, telling him that it was wrong. We cant keep doing this. I could go to jail. Reporter then the young man took the stand. Spent parts of four days there detailing an affair that he said lasted two months. Were not showing his face on camera, of course. We both knew what we were doing was wrong. Reporter the prosecutor took him through hundreds more texts. All those words of longing between a school tutor and a boy too young even to drive. She says, i need you in my bed now. Is that right . Yes. So she says shes telling you she needs you in her bed now and shes going to come and pick you up basically, right . Yes. Reporter open and shut case, said the prosecutor. The Text Messages are the truth. Theyre not created with any other intent than to communicate what they want to communicate at the time. The Text Messages are the truth. Reporter now, after that avalanche of evidence against her, Abigail Simon was about to tell the jury the story she told us, but this time shed be seated across from a prosecutor who couldnt wait for her turn with the defendant. Coming up, tears. Im trying to be honest up here and its so disrespectful. And fireworks. You know, when youre in this situation situation of being in love with a 15yearold . I wasnt in love with him. Wanting to have sex with a 15yearold, right . Nope. With a great body, right . Nope. Ked my dentist if an electric toothbrush was going to clean better than a manual. He said sure. But dont get just any one. Get one inspired by dentists. With a round brush head. Go pro with oralb. Oralbs rounded brush head cups your teeth to break up plaque, and rotates to sweep it away. And oralb delivers a clinically proven superior clean vs. Sonicare diamond clean. My mouth feels super clean. Oralb. Know youre getting a superior clean. Im never going back to a manual brush. Try phillips fiber good gummies plus energy support. Its a new fiber supplement that helps support regularity and includes b vitamins to help convert food to energy. Mmmmm, these are good nice work, phillips the tasty side of fiber, from phillips. Whoa what are you guys doing . Thats it. Were making sure nothing sticks. Otherwise we gotta scrub all this stuff off. Dish issues . Cascade platinum powers through your toughest, starchy messes as if your dishes were nonstick. Cascade. Now thats clean. Discover new magnum double Peanut Butter. Made with a perfect balance of Peanut Butter ice cream, Peanut Buttery sauce, and belgian chocolate. Discover magnum chocolate pleasure. Well, things in the bedroom have alwaysyeah, no complaints. Weve always had a lot of fun, but i wanted to try something new. And im into that. So were using ky love. Its a pleasure gel that magnifies both of our sensations. Right, i mean, for both of us, just. Yeah, it just takes all those awesome feelings you usually feel and it just makes them. Rawr. Dare to feel more with new ky love. Darnas every blade adjuststky swirto your curves. Venus swirl, with contour blades that have six times more flexibility. Plus a flexiball. Flawless shaving, bones, bends and all. Venus swirl. Go get help, boy. Go get help. Go get help right now if youre a cat, you ignore people. Its what you do. If you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. Its what you do. Go on kitty, kitty. Weve gotlets do this minutes baby crying in the background first kid weve got at least 20 minutes, lets do this by their second kid, every mom is an expert, and more likely to choose luvs than first time moms live, learn and get luvs moms knowafter brushing, mouths often need a helping hand. Listerine® total care helps prevent cavities, strengthens teeth and restores tooth enamel. Its an easy way to give listerine® total care to the total family. Listerine® total care. One bottle, six benefits. Power to your mouth™. And for kids starting at age six, listerine® smart rinse delivers extra cavity protection after brushing. Started using gain flings,fe their laundry smells more amazing than ever. sniff honey, isnt that the dogs towel . dog noise hey, mi towel, su towel. More scent plus oxi boost and febreze. Its our best gain ever prosecutors had laid out their case in the torrent of Text Messages. A damning indictment of a boundarycrossing love affair between then33yearold Abigail Simon and her then15yearold pupil. But now abbys defense set out to turn the story on its head. Its not a love story. Its a control story. Reporter defense attorney Michael Manley told the jury that abby was the Innocent Party here, a victim held under the thumb of a controlling, dangerous young man who could snap at any moment. In your mind, one punch could kill. And no woman should ever have to go through what she went through. The evidence will show that this young lady that im so proud of is finally standing up against the bully. Reporter how to understand the psychology involved . The defense called an expert on Domestic Violence. The image we have of the violence used in Domestic Violence tends to be the black eye and the broken bone. The reality of the violence in abusive relationships is that it tends to be low level, pushes, shoves, grabs, but having the cumulative effect over time that is as frightening as severe violence can be. Reporter first abby had to survive an abuse ordeal back in chicago, said the defense. Then at the school, the boy relaunched the fear by slapping abbys face after their study session that night. So attorney manley launched a dayslong crossexamination of the young man. He denied he ever slapped abby except possibly playfully during sex. But then there followed one accusation after another. Is this whole thing that you did to ms. Simon so you could be popular to say ive got the hot tutor . Thats not what you did . No. Reporter the defense said the young man changed his story several times and, in fact, he had. In his first interview with police, he said he forced abby to have sex with him and twice said he put a gun to her head. You told detective lowrie that you pointed a gun to her head and told her that i would kill her if she didnt love me back . Reporter detective lowrie at the time didnt believe it for a minute. Later, sure enough, the young man recanted. Said that putting a gun to her head comment was his effort to keep abby from getting into trouble but the defense attorney flatout accused the young man of sexual assault. You forced yourself on ms. Simon in the car on the 24th of april, did you not . No, i did not. You didnt grab her by the hair and put her head into your lap and no. Reporter finally the defense confronted him with what it said was proof of sexual assault, what it called the smoking gun text. The one, youll recall, which clearly suggested sex had taken place. In the sex the boy apologizes and promises to never put you through that again baby girl. Did you send that text message . Yes. Can you explain to the jury what that meant . Never doing anything again in the car. Its your testimony that that text message is only because it was uncomfortable in the car . Yes. It was consensual between you two . Yeah. Reporter when he was finally allowed to leave the stand, it appeared that abbys defense and her freedom depended on the story she and she alone was about to tell. We call Abigail Simon to the stand. Reporter the question, despite all those Text Messages expressing her deep and abiding love, would the jury, could the jury, believe Abigail Simons claim that she was a victim . Ms. Simon, would you raise your right hand. Youve been in therapy for 18 months now, correct . Yes. Are you ready to tell your story . Yes. At one point i remember thinking like this is my life right now. Like im doing this for a 15yearold . Like how is this even possible . Im his. He owned me. He owned me up until today when i got here to finally tell what happened. He never thought i would come up here and tell the truth. He thought i would cover for him. Reporter of course, by taking the stand in her own defense to tell her story, abby simon knew she was opening herself up to what would, no doubt, be an intense crossexamination by prosecutor Helen Brinkman. The question we put to abby before the trial. The prosecutor is going to challenge you every which way to sunday. Accuse you of all kinds of things. Are you ready for that . The best part is i can just tell the truth. I can just be honest. I dont have to remember what i was supposed to say. I can just tell the story. Reporter but the prosecutors opinion of ms. Simon was clear from the start. You know, when youre in this situation the situation of being in love with a 15yearold . I wasnt in love with him. Having sex with a 15yearold. Nope. With a great body . Do you really thing that a. Stop, stop. You dont get to ask the questions. When i try to tell you something and you roll your eyes and laugh about it and im trying to be honest up here and its so disrespectful. The more she talked and the more she attacked me during crossexamination reporter she was insulted that you didnt believe her. I was insulted that she thought someone would. Who says you dont have to have proof . Reporter for a portion of two days it went just like that. I never used the word rapist. I said he forced me against my will. I have the binder. He keeps stating things he has no evidence for as though its fact. Youve got the evidence. Dont just say that. Things are getting totally out of control and im beginning to lose it a little bit. You have no problem barking back at me, do you . No. Pretty strong person, arent you . Yes, after 18 months of therapy. My dad said at lunch today objection. Objection, objection. Just answer yes or no. Reporter fim nally, the prosecutor asked, if abbys Text Messages were the cry for help she claimed, why didnt she tell her father, the attorney who was in court with her every day and helped her escape the abuse she said she suffered years earlier in chicago. All you had to do was call your dad on the phone. Im being beaten. Im being raped. You know its not that easy. You know its not that easy. It is that easy. You did it before. Women do this all the time just a minute. Who told you that . Ive lived it. Ive lived it. And it is so scary. You cant go to the police right away. And you know that. Reporter finally, Abigail Simon left the stand. It was the jurys turn. What did you think as the jury went out at the end of that trial . I worried. Because we dont hold women accountable like we do men. We dont. Thats our society. I think people dont want to believe that women can be cunning and devious and child molesters. But they are. Reporter so abby simon, for the moment, was free as a bird and waited to find out if shed stay that way. Coming up the verdict. We the jury on count one on the charge of criminal Sexual Conduct november 2014, just hours before the thanksgiving holiday was to begin. Not a word from the jury. For 12 hours. Would they believe abby or the prosecution . But then they were back. Were ready for the jury. Reporter abby simon seemed to be teetering on the brink, an emotional wreck. Madame foreperson, if you would kindly stand and by reading from the form where it starts, we the jury. We the jury on the count of one of a charge of criminal Sexual Conduct first degree, we the jury find the defendant Abigail Simon guilty. Reporter abbys mother and sister cried out in anger and anguish. The jury just didnt believe her. On the charge of accosting a child for immoral purposes, we the jury find the defendant Abigail Simon guilty. Reporter on and on it went. Guilty. Reporter four guilty verdicts. Acquitted on a fifth. Minutes later Abigail Simon went directly to jail. You are so wrong. Reporter outside the courtroom, defense attorney Michael Manley spoke. Were you surprised by what happened in there . Shocked. Shocked and devastated. Very disappointed in the jurys verdict. Shes at peace. She already won. She told her story. She faced her accuser. And nobody is going to hurt her again. Reporter but after listening to the defense attempt to paint abby as the victim, grand Rapids Police detective dave gillam finally felt free to speak his mind. Theres a level of victim bashing and victim blaming and throwing this family, not only this victim but the family under the bus over and over and over. Its unprecedented in my 18 years. Ive never seen anything to that degree. Reporter something got under your skin big time there. Yes. This is a 15yearold kid. Youre a 35yearold woman, 36yearold woman. That you took advantage of. And youre blaming not just blaming him but accusing him of a crime that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. Extraordinarily bothering me. Reporter because, he said, none of the evidence, not one thing, suggested that the boy was in any way aggressive or abusive toward the woman he loved. All rise. Reporter seven weeks later, after spending thanksgiving and christmas behind bars, out her sentencing came Abigail Simon visibly diminished. When it was her chance to speak, she said, perhaps no surprise, she regretted her decision to turn down the plea deal which would likely have meant mere months in jail in total. Kicking herself really, for the way she put it, selfishly choosing to fight for herself rather than do what was best for her family. Im so much more than remorseful. I dont know how to live with myself for putting my story before this. Im so sorry for all of this. I cry all day and all night every day. Im so tired. I just want to go home. I want to climb in my moms bed and never leave her side. Im lost and im broken, and i dont know how to go on without my family. Im asking you to send me home as soon as possible. Reporter pathos doesnt begin to describe the scene in here. When it was time for sentencing, she seemed to swoon on the verge of passing out. Deputies stepped in to steady her are you okay . Reporter but judge Paul Sullivan made it clear he agreed with the jurys verdict. The evidence in this case was overwhelming. Reporter and he handed down a sentence that was in the middle range of possibilities. Its going to be the sentence of this court that the defendant be turned over to the department of corrections to serve a period of incarceration of not less than 8 no more than 25 years. Reporter Abigail Simon absorbed the news of her sentence blankly as if the words blew by her like a fastball. 8 to 25 years. A sex offender for life. Hopefully this will be a lesson to any teacher that wants to prey on a child. It doesnt turn out to be the fantasy they think it is. Reporter her earliest possible release date is november 2022 when shell be 43 years old. All rise. We love you. Reporter her family, who had invited us into their home to hear abbys side of the story, now declined to speak to us. Declined our request for a comment of any kind. And directed attorney Michael Manley to do likewise. And the prosecutor who just watched the end of her last case is mostly sorry she had to bring it to court at all. I dont think you put a victim through what she put this victim through, not confessing, not being repentant. I hope she has time to consider what she did to that family beyond what she did to that child. Reporter and as for that young man, he graduated in may 2015 from Catholic Central, turned 18 not long after that. His family wanted to appear to support him in the face of abby simons attack. Hes a wonderful person, they said. A teddy bear. But in the end they decided not to be interviewed. Its complicated. Hes going to have to live with the fact that the person that he loved is going to be in prison for eight years. Reporter not sure he wanted her to go to prison at all. He didnt. The family wasnt out for blood. He wasnt out for blood. They just wanted her to admit what she did and to clear his name, and she wouldnt do it. Reporter he, a star athlete, had hoped for a far different ending to his career on the field. She, bright and personable, certainly wouldnt be where she is now. Love is blind sometimes, and this kind of love is not just a crime. It was a tragedy. Thats all for this edition now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. This sunday, face to face with donald trump. Are we in a reality show . No, that is not reality, this is the real deal. My interview with the man leading the polls on birtherism, isis and his plan on illegal immigration. It will work out so well, you will be so happy. In four years youll be interviewing me and say what a great job youve done, president trump. Also is hillarys campaign in crisis. Emails, sinking poll numbers, questions about trust. Iowa voters are saying this about hillarys troubles. Were now down to rumors of gore and thats got to stink. All of it has led to talk of joe biden and the rise of this man, senator bernie sanders. He joins me live. Finally, how much fried food can you get for 50 at the iowa state fair . It turns out way too much. Joining me for insight and analysis this morning are jeff greenfield, contributor to the daily beast, molly ball of the atlantic, kimberly strossel, and Eugene Robinson of the washington post. Welcome to sunday. Its meet the press. Good sunday morning. When he first began talking about running for president , a lot of people dismissed him, including myself. But theres no denying that donald trump is completely shaken up the republican race, topping national and state polls, drawing 24 Million People to the gop debate and simply dominating the coverage so far. I caught up with trump yesterday in des moines, iowa, for his first facetoface sunday morning interview as a had can. I wanted this interview to be less about personality and more about substance. We touched on a lot of issues. Birtherism, abortion, isis, illegal immigration and much more. Lets get right to it, starting with his standing with the conservative movement. Some of the criticism on you from conservatives is youre not a real conservative. When you hear that, some of them will argue on social policies that youre not a real conservative. Is it just different brands of conservatism thats out there and you just have a different brand or do you think they have a point . Well, i think they have a point from years ago, but they also have that same point with Ronald Reagan, who was a democrat absolutely with a liberal bent. And Ronald Reagan became, you know, not only a republican but a pretty conservative republican. Not the most, but a pretty conservative republican and hes somebody that i actually knew and liked and he liked me. I worked with him and helped him. But i think that when you get right down to it, people do evolve on different issues. And ive you know, im prolife and i was begrudgingly the other way. But when those questions were asked and that was many, many years ago, i wasnt a politician. Should some form of abortion always be legal . Well, to me i have