Steven Powell trial on child porn charge opens

TACOMA -- The child pornography trial of Steven Powell started Tuesday.

Powell is the father of Josh Powell, who killed his two young boys and himself in Graham while he was being investigated for possibly killing his wife, Susan Cox Powell, in Utah.

“This case is about the defendant’s secret,” said deputy Pierce County prosecutor Bryce Nelson during opening arguments.

The case goes back to 2011 when police first searched Steven Powell’s home in Graham. They were looking for evidence in the Susan Cox Powell investigation. She had vanished, and detectives believed her husband Josh, who was living with his dad at the time, was involved in her disappearance.

Instead, they found several pictures and videos of two young neighbor girls in their bathroom.

Prosecutors say there were hundreds of photos showing the girls naked in the bath, but the family next door apparently never knew they were being victimized.

“What they or their mom did not know was that someone was watching them, and taking video of them,” said Nelson. “That was Steven Powell.”

The discovery by detectives led to Powell’s first trial, his conviction on voyeurism and 30 months in jail, which Powell already served. He was also initially charged with child pornography, but the judge at his trial dismissed that charge.

Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist appealed that dismissal and the state Court of Appeals agreed with him and reinstated the charge in June.

Now Steven Powell is on trial again, and trying to spare himself from serving even more prison time.

His attorney, Travis Currie, told jurors to keep an open mind.

“What you’ve heard is a story,” said Currie. “Like any good story, it has drama, victims, and a villain. But it’s not evidence.”

If convicted, Powell faces up to another five years behind bars.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday.