CINCINNATI (OH)
The Plain Dealer
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Associated Press
Cincinnati- A judge has acquitted a Roman Catholic priest accused of raping a boy while a pastor in the 1990s, saying the accuser's story was not believable.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman found the Rev. Raymond Larger not guilty 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 said 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.