Girl Says Ballard Wanted to Marry Her

BARTOW | A teenage girl testified Thursday that she was frightened when Roy Ballard told her that he wanted to marry her.

Prosecutors say the soft-spoken girl is the reason Ballard, 67, of Zephyrhills, traveled to Lakeland to kill his stepdaughter and make her body disappear.

Ballard is accused of having a sexual relationship with the girl and killing his stepdaughter, Autumn Marie Traub, 33, because she opposed his regaining custody of the girl.

Traub disappeared Sept. 13, 2006, after meeting with Ballard. Her body has not been found.

Throughout the trial, investigators who have interviewed the girl described her as being reserved and withdrawn. The Ledger is not naming her because she is an alleged victim of a sex crime.

Assistant State Attorney Cass Castillo asked the girl about a time when she visited Ballard in the hospital, where he was being treated after suffering multiple seizures and strokes.

The girl, who was 14 at the time, said Ballard told her that he loved her and wanted to marry her.

"I thought that was crazy," she said.

"Did it freak you out?" Castillo asked.

"Yes," she said.

While testifying Thursday, the girl spoke in a low voice and gave short responses to questions. She described herself as someone who didn't have friends growing up, and spent her free time watching television and going on the Internet.

The girl said she had sex with Ballard and two other adult men. The sexual abuse began when she was 10 or 11 years old, she said.

The girl said she didn't know why she didn't tell anyone about the abuse.

"Did you make any effort to stop Mr. Ballard?" Castillo asked.

"No," she said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I have no idea," she said.

Castillo asked her why she told investigators initially that she hadn't had sex with older men.

"Because I didn't want to talk about it," she replied.

The girl said she decided to tell authorities about the sexual abuse because a detective told her she could be arrested if she didn't tell the truth.

"Has anyone ever asked you to say anything other than the truth?" Castillo asked.

"No," the girl said.

A defense lawyer questioned the girl about inconsistencies in her various statements to investigators.

"Did you tell them that you were sexually abused by Roy Ballard because you were frightened and you thought that's what they wanted you to say?" asked Ballard's lawyer, Byron Hileman.

"I told them because it was the truth," the girl said. "They told me to tell the truth."

Ballard is charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. ]