"He put his fingers in my vagina. He said this would be the last time, it wasn't."

Jane Doe was on the stand this morning testifying in the jury trial for Edward Winkle White. Very soft spoken, she looked very nervous testifying in a room of mostly strangers. Some jury members looked down or not directly at her, as she spoke about her alleged sexual abuse.

"He put his fingers in my vagina. He said this would be the last time, it wasn't."

Once of the incidents occurred while her mother was away with her boyfriend, Eugene in 2016. Jane Doe was in 8th grade at that time.

She said the way White spoke with her, especially about her mother and her new boyfriend, made her feel like she was his,girlfriend.

White is her mother's ex. Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer was questioning Jane Doe this morning after mid-morning break. The testimony I heard was related to Counts 1,4 and 5.

White sat next to his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Luke Brownfield dressed in black pants and white shirt. He looked down the table and showed no emotion while Jane Doe testified.

White is charged with Counts 1, 4 and 5 Sexual penetration with a foreign object.

Count 2 Lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14. Special allegation for Count 2 is engaging in " substantial sexual conduct with a victim who is under 14 years of age. 

"Count 3 is a lewd act by a defendant who is atleast 10 years older than the child. Special allegation for Count 3 is "when the 
act is committed by the use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person."

HCSO Press Release:

 On Monday, November 14, 2016 at about 3:55 p.m. a Humboldt County Deputy Sheriff observed a white Chevrolet pickup truck without a front license plate parked on Singley Rd in Loleta.

The deputy contacted the two occupants in the vehicle and identified the driver as Winkle Edward White (32). White was unable to provide deputies with his driver’s license, proof of insurance or vehicle registration. It was discovered White had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

White was detained while deputies conducted a registration check on the vehicle which was reported stolen out of Eureka.

The passenger of the vehicle, Richard Lyle Sanderson (53), was escorted out of the vehicle and detained.

Deputies observed in plain sight clear baggies containing suspected methamphetamine. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded rifle behind the drivers’ seat, additional drug paraphernalia, ammunition, suspected heroin, packaged marijuana and a functioning law enforcement scanner.


Neither White nor Sanderson had a medical marijuana recommendation for the packaged marijuana.

 Sanderson was arrested for possession of a narcotic controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released at the scene with a citation.

White was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in his vehicle, possession of stolen property, being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, selling/furnishing marijuana, driving with a suspended license, improper display of license plates, possession of a law enforcement radio scanner and his outstanding warrant.

White was taken to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked for the above listed charges. His bail was set at $50,000.