Defendant in child rape case: DNA on victim ‘not mine’

WILKES-BARRE — With each question directed at him, Barrkim Stallings turned to the Luzerne County jury to answer.

Stallings, 30, testified Thursday in his own defense on child rape related charges on the third and final day of his trial before Judge David W. Lupas.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Luckenbill and Stallings’ attorney, Paul Walker, are scheduled to give their closing arguments Friday morning.

Wilkes-Barre police charged Stallings with burglarizing a residence on Coal Street and raping a 12-year-old girl Oct. 4, 2020.

Stallings surrendered several days after an arrest warrant was filed against him, charging him with rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and burglary.

During the trial, Luckenbill presented DNA evidence recovered from the girl’s underwear and body that matched the genetic profile of Stallings. The girl testified she was confronted by Stallings in front of her bedroom when he raped her, and the girl’s mother told the jury she found Stallings with his buttocks exposed in her daughter’s bed.

Luckenbill said Stallings was “passed out” when police found him in the girl’s bed.

Stallings, wearing a white dress shirt and light purple tie, admitted from the witness stand to being inside the girl’s residence only to charge his cell phone.

As Stallings explained, he was at a party with his pregnant girlfriend and consumed alcohol. As they took an Uber ride home, Stallings was arguing with his girlfriend and the driver dropped him off at Wilkes-Barre Police Headquarters.

Stallings said his girlfriend lived next door to the girl and when he arrived after walking from police headquarters, he knocked but she did not open the door.

“I went next door to ask to use the phone or to use a charger. I went in, asked to use the bathroom and I threw up. I passed out. I woke up and the cops are there, it was like a movie,” Stallings testified.

Stallings said he normally wore saggy pants as a reason why his pants were below his knees when found in the girl’s bed.

Walker asked Stallings if he raped the girl.

“I will pay a crackhead or a prostitute rather than a child,” Stallings replied.

When Stallings was shown a picture of a man with exposed buttocks in the girl’s bed, he denied it was him.

“My butt is bigger than that,” Stallings said.

Several character witnesses Walker called to testify on Stallings’ behalf said they did not believe he would commit such an act. Two character witnesses said the girl was acting normal hours after the alleged rape occurred.

Luckenbill asked Stallings how his DNA was forensically recovered from the girl’s underwear and body?

“It’s not mine,” Stallings said.