Trial Begins For Foster Dad Accused Of Abusing Kids

Police: Charles Sparks Abused 3 Foster Daughters

By Ann Bowdan

CLARK COUNTY, Ind. --A foster parent, originally charged with 58 counts of child sex abuse charges, faced his accusers and his own voice on an audio tape secretly recorded by his victims in court on Monday.

In court, the 58 charges against 63-year-old Charles Sparks were amended to 10 counts of child molesting, sexual misconduct with a minor and child seduction.

Sparks refused to show his face as he walked out of the courtroom Monday, but he sat directly in front of his accusers who testified Tuesday.

Sparks' accusers are his three adoptive daughters who said while they lived with his and his wife, he molested all three of them continually for more than 10 years, starting when they were as young as 7 years old.

The testimony from the victims, who are now adults, was very emotional. Sometimes the women broke down on the stand.

One of the women worked with a detective handling their case and secretly recorded a conversation where she asked for an apology.

While Sparks never admitted to any sexual action on the recording, when his daughter mentioned specific acts, he responded with "I'm sorry," "I can't take back what I did," "Hope you can forgive me," and at one point Sparks even said, "I hope you're not recording this."

"Whenever you hear a tape like that where someone just say 'sorry,' or not have any feeling, and when a daughter is saying why did you touch me here, or you touched, fill in the blank, and your response is 'yeah, well sorry,' I think that speaks for itself," said prosecuting attorney Brittany Blau.

The trial has torn Sparks' family apart. The adoptive daughters testified that they didn't want to press charges because all they wanted was a happy family and waited five years in foster care to get one.

Now, they're in court, and their dad could go to prison.