The accused was tried on two counts of sexual interference arising from historical allegations by a complainant who described childhood sexual touching by her stepfather over several years.
The case turned entirely on the complainant's credibility and reliability, as she was the only witness called.
The court held that significant reliability concerns arose from a late disclosure of an alleged penis-touching incident, contradictions about the sequence and significance of earlier touching, and the Crown's failure to call the complainant's mother despite the corroborative significance attributed to her evidence.
Applying the reasonable doubt standard, the court was left with a reasonable doubt and acquitted on both counts.
