WARREN — A 12-year-old girl is set to take the witness stand today in the rape trial of a 76-year-old man accused of abusing her over several years.

The girl will share her story in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court before Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice.

The case involves Danny McFadden, who is jailed in Portage County because of a conflict with a family member employed by the Trumbull County jail. He is facing 28 counts of child sex crimes, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Assistant Prosecutor Gabe Wildman told the jury on Monday that the girl will describe events starting when she was 5. He said the abuse happened many times in family homes, including times when she was alone with McFadden.

“She’s going to have the courage… to take that witness stand and face this man who abused her so many times,” Wildman said in his opening statement.

Wildman said the girl told a 13-year-old friend about the abuse in May. The friend helped her report it to a school resource officer. That led to police and child services getting involved. The girl’s parents, who were present in court Monday, and the friends are also expected to testify.

McFadden is represented by attorneys Edward Hartwig Jr. and Joseph R. Ohlin. Hartwig said in his opening that McFadden denies all charges.

“On the one hand, we have a young girl who makes unimaginable allegations against her (relative). On the other hand, you have a (relative) who says, hell no, I’ve never done those things,” Hartwig told the jury.

The charges against McFadden include 17 counts of first-degree felony rape, eight counts of third-degree felony gross sexual imposition, and three counts of fourth-degree misdemeanor gross sexual imposition. Most counts involve a girl under 13, court records show. The time frame runs from November 2017 to May 2025.

Niles police arrested McFadden in June 2025 on five rape counts. A grand jury later added the other charges. Some counts say McFadden used force or threats to make the girl go along, according to the indictment.

Wildman said other witnesses will include two women who say McFadden touched them in bad ways years ago. He also expects testimony from a detective and a nurse from a child advocacy center.

The nurse will explain terms like grooming and why some kids wait to tell about abuse, Wildman said.

Hartwig said the case lacks physical proof like DNA or videos. He called it a “he said, she said” situation with no other witnesses to the main claims.

“You are not going to see DNA… You’re not going to see videos of something happening. You’re not going to see text messages or admissions saying, hey, this happened,” Hartwig said.