CINCINNATI (OH)
The Beacon Journal
Associated Press
CINCINNATI - A judge has acquitted a Roman Catholic priest accused of raping a boy when he was a pastor in the 1990s, saying the accuser's story was not believable.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman found Rev. Raymond Larger innocent of rape, sexual battery and gross sexual imposition.
Ruehlman heard about two hours of testimony Monday from the now 21-year-old accuser, who came forward last year. He claimed he was abused in 1995-97, while Larger was the pastor of St. James Church.
"It's silly to go any further with this case. The testimony I heard just isn't credible," Ruehlman said after the prosecution rested. "In good conscience, I can't allow this to go any further."