Jury finds man innocent of raping 12-year-old girl

LOWVILLE — A jury Friday evening in Lewis County Court acquitted a town of Croghan man of rape charges.

Jurors found Christopher O'Brien, 49, of 7668 Soft Maple Road, innocent of two counts of first-degree rape, according to Lewis County District Attorney Leanne K. Moser.

Mr. O'Brien also had been charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. However, Judge Charles C. Merrell, who presided over the four-day trial, ruled that jurors could not convict him on the lesser charges if they found him innocent of the rape charges, Ms. Moser said.

Mr. O'Brien had been accused of having sexual relations on two occasions with a 12-year-old girl between July 1 and Sept. 4, 2006, in the town of Croghan.