Amy McGowan, Douglas County chief assistant district attorney, described a recent court trial involving allegations of child abuse as unusual.

As the trial of Raymond G. Stockton, 43, Lawrence, was getting under way last week, the defense presented a theory: the defendant suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and one of his personalities, “Marcus,” made him confess to the crimes for which he was accused.

During an interview with police, Stockton confessed to raping a girl between 2004 and 2007, McGowan said.

She said that during testimony the court was told by a Topeka mental health professional hired by the defense to interview Stockton that “Marcus” revealed himself during their meeting.

McGowan said the defense claimed Marcus “threw (Stockton) under the bus and made him confess.”

She added that she didn’t believe Stockton’s behavior during the confession to police was consistent with dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder.

“The interview with police lasted almost four hours and there wasn’t anything other than the emotions that come out, basically, when a person is caught and confesses,” McGowan said.

Another unusual element of the five-day long court trial was that the victim had recanted her story and had to be compelled to testify.

The teenager was ages 11-14 when the abuse occurred.

“We had seen it coming because she had come to court in May 2009 on a motion hearing and recanted at that time, basically saying she made it all up,” McGowan said.

Despite the mental illness claim from the defense and the fact that the victim no longer wanted the case to move forward, jurors returned from deliberations with a guilty verdict on three counts of rape of a child younger than 14 and one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Jurors had the case for less than four hours.

“I have no doubt that we had a proper prosecution and the right person,” McGowan said.

Douglas County District Judge Sally Pokorny is scheduled to set a sentencing date for Stockton during a 9 a.m. Wednesday status conference.

McGowan said Stockton faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.