Jury Trial Underway for Man Charged with Sexual Abuse, Child Pornography

A Casper man appeared in Natrona County District Court before Judge Kerri Johnson this morning.

Last fall Travis Gonsalves pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of a minor and a count of child pornography.

This morning was the second day of a 12-person jury trial in which the prosecutor calls witnesses and evidence to prove to the jury that the defendant committed the crimes.

Gonsalves' defense attorney is Christina Cherni.

This morning the prosecuting attorney, Kevin Taheri, called upon Sara Nelson, a school resource officer stationed in the Natrona County School District schools.

Prompted by Taheri, Nelson affirmed that she was stationed at Kelly Walsh High School when she received a report from a student on April 27, 2022. She said she forwarded the information to detectives.

Taheri called other witnesses to the stand, including the victim's mother, sibling, and a forensic interviewer with the Children's Advocacy Project, Cheri Frimml.

Court records indicate that when Frimml interviewed the victim, the child alleged that Gonsalves "touched her and tried to rape her."

The victim stated that the last incident happened in Casper when she was fifteen.

Records allege the victim told Frimml that Gonsalves touched her chest underneath her shirt, but over her sports bra; he rubbed his feet against her legs; he pulled her close; she felt his penis and heard him rubbing something but did not want to see, and he was breathing heavy.

Records report that in the morning Gonsalves told the victim, "I'm sorry, I remember what happened last night."

Pursuant to a search warrant, detectives found pornographic images on Gonsalves' cell phone depicting a child in a lewd and lascivious manner -- allegedly the same victim as the  one in the sexual abuse charges against Gonsalves.

The trial will continue on Wednesday; K2Radio will update as more information becomes available.