Trial for man facing 21 sex crimes underway
The trial of a man accused of victimizing more than a dozen women is underway in Jefferson County.
Jonathan Fitzgerald "Master" Lockett is facing 35 total felonies, two-thirds of which are sex crimes.
Prosecutors claim he committed rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, attempted rape and sexual torture.
Jefferson County's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, team helped link Lockett to 14 sex crime victims.
The team has been working for years to eliminate a backlog of 4,000 untested rape kits.
Their research has helped identify more than 120 serial rapists, of which they argue Lockett is one of the worst.
In addition to the sex crimes, Lockett is also charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, robbery and theft.
Judge Shanta Owens and the attorneys finished picking the jury late Monday afternoon.
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Opening statements begin Tuesday morning.