COEUR d'ALENE - A Kootenai County District Court jury of six men and six women on Wednesday began deliberating in the Robert "Bob" Critchfield trial, following more than six-and-a-half days of testimony and argument.

The jury will consider seven felony counts of sexual abuse of a child, and two counts of lewd conduct with a minor as they discuss the testimony presented during the trial.

Nine girls, the alleged victims in the case, took the stand for the prosecution. Critchfield, 35, testified for the defense, denying all the allegations.

The jury deliberated until 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Kootenai County Courthouse, and were scheduled to resume this morning at 9 a.m.

Prosecutor Marty Raap and defense attorney James Siebe finished closing arguments Wednesday.

Raap told the jury the girls have nothing to gain by making the accusations. He said it didn't make sense to believe that all nine girls lied on the stand and are continuing a conspiracy against Critchfield that started more than two years ago.

He said the girls each retold separate incidents about Critchfield, some of them visibly emotional on the stand. They spent a lot of time at Critchfield's home in Coeur d'Alene Place while his wife was at work, even though the girls repeatedly caused trouble for him there.

"Why in the world is he letting them come over?" Raap asked.

Critchfield, when he took the stand, said the girls were there to play with his daughter. The girls ranged in age at that time from about 9 to 13 years old.

Siebe asked the jury to consider the horror of finding someone guilty of child molestation who's not guilty.

He said the momentum the authorities' investigation took on in 2008 influenced the girls, and what was thought innocent or accidental touching at one point became something criminal later.

"This ought to scare you," Siebe told the jury.

Siebe called the allegations "vague," random and "obtuse," and were made about alleged incidents that might have occurred during a "wide-ranging time-frame" of 2007 to June 2008, when Critchfield was arrested.

"Bob deserves more specificity" when facing such serious allegations, Siebe said.

Siebe has repeatedly gone after the truthfulness of the girls, and took time to remind jurors that friends and family members of some of the girls testified that the girls have had problems with the truth at times.

He also reminded jurors that numerous friends, family and neighbors have stood by Critchfield, regardless of the stigma such allegations carry.

Critchfield's wife of 14 years, Angie Critchfield, defended him in her testimony. She has stood by his side throughout the trial. His 14-year-old daughter also testified in his defense.