Bible belt town reels as third child abuse trial begins

IN the windowless front rooms of a former day care centre in a tiny Texas community, children as young as five were fed powerful painkillers they knew as “silly pills” and forced to perform sex shows for a crowd of up to 100 adults.

There are more than 30 churches in Mineola and the closest place to buy alcohol is 34km away. Most of the town’s 5,100 residents would rather put the bleak past behind them, but jury selection got underway yesterday in the third swinger party case to go to trial.

Patrick Kelly, aged 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organised criminal activity.