A jury trial began this week in Dukes County superior court for a Vineyard Haven man facing rape charges.

Carlos G. Stevenson, 50, was indicted in 2014 on charges dating from 2001 to 2003 on one count of rape of a child and five counts of indecent assault and battery on a person younger than 14. The alleged victim was 10 or 11 years old at the time.

Mr. Stevenson is the longtime owner of Mosher Photo in Vineyard Haven.

Defendant Carlos Stevenson. — Mark Lovewell

A 15-member jury of three men and 12 women has been seated; three will be chosen later to serve as alternates. The Hon. Mitchell Kaplan, an associate justice of the superior court, is presiding over the case.

Opening arguments were heard Tuesday afternoon.

Cape and Islands district attorney Laura Marshard said the alleged assaults took place at Mr. Stevenson’s Vineyard Haven home when the alleged victim was babysitting or spending time with Mr. Stevenson’s two sons. He also allegedly assaulted her at a neighbor’s house when she was taking care of their pets, Ms. Marshard said.

The alleged assaults came to light when the alleged victim told her boyfriend, Ms. Marshard said.

Mr. Stevenson’s attorney, Janice Bassil, said in an opening statement that her client is not guilty and she questioned the credibility of the alleged victim.

Among other things, she said Mr. Stevenson and his wife rarely went out during the years when their children were young and did not use babysitters.

“He didn’t do this,” Ms. Bassil said. “He wouldn’t do this.”

Testimony was expected to continue this week. The alleged victim, who is now 26, took the stand to testify Tuesday afternoon. The Gazette does not publish names of victims in sexual assault cases unless they request it.

The case has seen some unusual twists. Mr. Stevenson’s indictment was thrown out in 2015 by another superior court judge, who found that prosecutors had relied solely on testimony from an investigation done by a Tisbury police detective. Prosecutors did not call the alleged victim before the grand jury.

The district attorney’s office appealed, and the state Supreme Judicial Court later ordered the court to reinstate the indictment and mark the case for trial.