She will make her ruling in the case against William Meinsen at noon.

The hearing, which does not determine guilt or innocence, was held in closed court after Halifax County Assistant District Attorney Norlan Graves made that request before Freeman because the alleged victim in the case is a minor.

The victim was openly crying before the proceedings went into closed court.

Meinsen's attorney, Geoffrey Davis, had no objections, but requested a motion to sequester witnesses in the closed proceedings and only allow a custodial parent to be with the victim when she testified.

The proceedings, which began shortly after 2 p.m., ran past 5 p.m.

Meinsen, minister at New Life Church of Christ on East Tenth Street, was charged in July with one count of indecent liberties with a child.

According to the arrest warrant,Lieutenant Joseph Sealey of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office reportedly found evidence the minister, “unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did take and attempt to take immoral, improper and indecent liberties” with the victim in the case — a girl who was under the age of 16.

The arrest warrant continues that Meinsen, 47 at the time of his arrest, allegedly did so “for the purpose of arousing and gratifying sexual desire. All the time the defendant was over 16 years of age and at least five years older” than the child.