A man accused of indecently assaulting a teenage girl has been acquitted.
At Oxford Crown Court yesterday, Judge Peter Crawford QC directed the jury to find Hekuran Gjeta, not guilty of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in University Parks, Oxford, on July 16 last year. The judge said: "The law is that if the accused believes the girl is over 16 then he is not guilty."
A witness told the court the alleged victim said she was 18 and showed Mr Gjeta a photo of a baby to bolster her claim.
The court also heard that the 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took part in sexual play before the alleged assault.
The teenager said Mr Gjeta pulled her into a bush and molested her.
She had been in Oxford city centre with two friends, aged 13 and 14, when they approached three men in their 20s to ask for cigarettes.
They then went to University Parks and drank lager with the men before the alleged assault took place.
Mr Gjeta, aged 24, of Cowley Road, Oxford, denied indecent assault.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article