Contentious testimony in trial of restaurateur accused of sexual assault

PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 was back in court Thursday for a highly emotional day of testimony in the trial of a local restaurateur who is accused of sexual assault.

The alleged victim, a 25-year-old woman, returned to the stand and was visibly shaken as she told the story about a sexual assault that happened to her. The woman started crying as she looked at the crime scene photos from last May. She told the jury how she woke up in her apartment to the defendant, Adnan Pehlivan, sexually assaulting her. She then told them how Pehlivan tried to run and she grabbed his shirt and he punched and pushed her.

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After describing the assault in detail, it was the defense attorney’s turn to cross examine her. The victim pushed back on many of the defense attorney’s questions calling them "disgusting."

Channel 11 will also be able to show our viewers, for the first time, the interactions and lack of interactions between the defendant and the victim inside Kopy’s bar just a few hours before the alleged assault.

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The early parts of the video show the woman and her friends not engaging with Pehlivan. After he buys them shots they begin talk and he moves closer then begins performing magic tricks.

The victim told the jury she thought his behavior was "odd and strange" but said she was not afraid of him at that point.

Breaking down in tears, she the described the sexual assault in detail.

The woman's roommates, who were at the bar with her that night, are expected to take the stand Friday.

Cox Media Group