AMITE -- A 2-year-old's nightmares tipped off her mother that the child was being sexually abused by her father -- one of seven members of a church accused of having sex with children in occult rituals, according to testimony in the father's trial Wednesday.

WWL-TV

Nicole Bernard testified against her ex-husband, Austin "Trey" Bernard III, 39, of Hammond, who was a member of Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula. Austin Bernard is accused of having oral sex with his daughter and anal sex with a boy who was 12 at the time, Assistant District Attorney Don Wall told the jury as the trial got under way.

Prosecutors said they plan to call the alleged victims to testify, including the girl, who is now 7 years old.

The crimes allegedly occurred in 2001 and 2002 and there were reports satanic rituals and the killing of dogs and cats by church members were involved. Wall said the alleged devil worship will not be a focal point of the trial because it is not against the law. The case, he said, will focus on the illegal sex acts alleged to have occurred during the rituals.

Bernard faces three counts of aggravated rape, two counts involving his daughter and one involving the boy. He faces life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty.

Last week, the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge rejected defense appeals concerning testimony of possible state witnesses.

State District Judge Doug Hughes, who is hearing the trial, ruled Oct. 9 that two young men, now 21 and 17, can testify even though prosecutors and defense counsel told the judge they expect the men to testify they were not abused by church members when they were minors. Such testimony would contradict statements they previously gave psychiatrists and law enforcement authorities, lawyers have said in court hearings.

The men also are considered witnesses to the abuse of the girl, Wall has said.

Wall, in his opening statement Wednesday, told the jury of the child's nightmares, which he said led Nicole Bernard to discover her husband was abusing their daughter and the two boys. The boys were 12 and 16 at the time of the alleged events.

Wall said Austin Bernard confessed to Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's detectives and FBI agents. Bernard later recanted that confession.

Public defender Al Bensabat told the jury in his opening statement that the children were coached by Bernard's ex-wife to assure she obtained custody of their daughter. In fact, Austin Bernard was served with divorce papers the day he was arrested in May 2005, Bensabat said.

Six other church members are awaiting trial on separate charges of child abuse. The church was an independent protestant denomination.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)