A former U.S. Navy commander accused of attempted rape testified that he believed "no means keep going" when he was trying to seduce an intoxicated woman who was once his subordinate.
Former Commander John M. Neuhart II, 39, now relieved of duty, is facing attempted forcible rape, assault with intent to rape, hot prowl burglary, and resisting arrest charges.
Neuhart has said he was trying to get the woman to agree to sex even though the woman was so drunk she fell off a bar stool, couldn’t walk straight and was slurring her words.
A key piece of evidence in the case is video from Neuhart’s phone that captured the incident at the woman’s Valencia Park home on Sept. 12, 2016.
In the video shown in court, a woman can be heard crying for someone to stop and yelling at someone to get out of her house. Kristen repeatedly says "no" "stop" and "Is this what you want? A girl that doesn't want you?"
Neuhart told the jury he took the video on his cell phone because one accusation could end his career, and he wanted evidence to clear his name.
Surveillance video of the lobby and elevators in the Manchester Grand Hyatt earlier in the evening shows Neuhart and the woman kissing each other.
Earlier, Neuhart testified that there was confusion over a safe word, believing "no meant go." He also said although she was saying stop, her body language didn't match what she was saying.
On Wednesday, under cross-examination, he still maintained that the woman told him “No means keep going” even though she had told him earlier that “no means no.”
Local
The prosecutor asked Neuhart if there was any confusion about the woman’s use of the words “get out” “get off” “get the f--- out” and “why do you want a girl who doesn’t want you?”
Neuhart agreed, and also agreed with the prosecutor that it was not “opposite day” for those words.
The former commander confirmed that he has taken the Navy’s sexual assault prevention training, and knows that no one can consent to sex if they are extremely intoxicated.
The victim in the case testified that earlier that day she attended a country-western concert with colleagues, before meeting up with them and other friends, including Neuhart, that night at the lobby bar of the downtown Manchester Grand Hyatt.
Neuhart was in the military for more than 15 years. He was the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, based at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam.
