Barrkim Stallings is escorted from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Friday after a jury found him guilty of raping a child.
                                 Ed Lewis | Times Leader

Barrkim Stallings is escorted from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Friday after a jury found him guilty of raping a child.

Ed Lewis | Times Leader

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WILKES-BARRE — A Luzerne County jury Friday found Barrkim Stallings guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

Stallings, 30, did not show any emotion as the jury foreman announced, “Guilty” to charges of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and burglary.

After Judge David W. Lupas released the jury from the courtroom, Stallings broke down and cried.

Following the verdict, Assistant District Attorney Susan Luckenbill who prosecuted Stallings comforted the victim and her family.

Lupas ordered an evaluation of Stallings by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine if he meets the criteria as a violent sexual predator. Stallings is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 17.

Wilkes-Barre police arrested Stallings for the Oct. 4, 2020, rape of the girl inside her residence on Coal Street.

Throughout the four-day trial, Luckenbill presented evidence including DNA recovered from the girl’s underwear and body that matched the genetic profile of Stallings. Luckenbill described the assaults in graphic detail to the jury.

The girl testified she was home with her younger sister in separate bedrooms when she was confronted by Stallings at her door. She said Stallings raped her, apologized and sexually assaulted her before he fell asleep on her bed.

Luckenbill said Stallings was passed out on the bed exposing his buttocks.

When the girl’s mother arrived home from work, her daughter told her what happened and the mother took cell phone pictures of Stallings on the girl’s bed, which were shown to the jury.

Stallings’ attorney, Paul Walker, told the jury in his defense Stallings wanted to use a phone or a charger for his cell phone when he was invited into the residence by the girl.

Stallings said he was known throughout the neighborhood, including the girl’s mother.

Earlier in the day, Luckenbill and Walker gave their closing arguments to the jury.

Walker told the jury as he did throughout the trial that people of good character normally don’t commit crimes. He highlighted two character witnesses who testified Stallings was a non-violent man and was respected in the neighborhood.

“You got a guy who turned himself in. You got a guy who gave his DNA and you got a guy who took the stand who wasn’t obligated to do so,” Walker said during his closing argument. .

Stallings testified in his own defense telling the jury he is the father of four daughters and one son, and would rather pay a “crackhead or a prostitute.”

Walker suggested evidence and how it was handled by police was contaminated.

During her closing argument, Luckenbill reminded jurors that DNA recovered from the girl’s underwear and body matched the genetic profile of Stallings. In two locations of the girl’s body, Luckenbill said the DNA was a “100 percent” match.

Reviewing Stallings’ testimony, Luckenbill described it as “utterly ridiculous and beyond worthy of mention.”

Luckenbill said the girl bravely testified before Stallings, his family and other strangers in the courtroom.

“She was unshakeable,” Luckenbill described the victim on the witness stand.