23/05/2012

Teacher Not Guilty Of Teenage Sex Offences

A teacher has been found not guilty of sex offences against a teenager.

Stewart Robert Smith, 39, from Winchester Park in Londonderry, denied charges of rape and indecent assault.

The charges related to incidents alleged to have occurred with a 14-year-old girl between December 2002 and August 2003.

The complainant said the assaults had happened in her home and in his home.

She reported the allegations to the police in December 2009, telling them Mr Smith was a family friend who often visited the house, sometimes cleaned it for the family and often stayed over.

Mr Smith confirmed these facts with the police in February this year.

During a trial at Londonderry Crown Court, the jury heard claims that Mr Smith and the girl had had intercourse.

Mr Smith denied this and the jury found him not guilty of three charges of raping the girl and one of indecently assaulting her.

(NE)

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