A 62-year-old man accused of inappropriately touching a schoolgirl was found not guilty in Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Magistrate Craig Attridge found the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, not guilty of sexually touching a girl under the age of 14 while he was in a position of trust.

The charges dated to 2022 and 2023.

The man denied the offences when he appeared in court in April 2023 and maintained his innocence throughout his trial.

The girl, who also cannot be identified, alleged that the Hamilton Parish resident inappropriately touched her “about four times” while her father was either not in the room or looking away.

The man told the court he knew the girl and her father since they both were babies but repeatedly denied any inappropriate contact.

Mr Attridge said in his ruling that the girl’s allegations “lack particularity”, and discharged the defendant.

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