Posted
on Tue Jun 16, 2009
Last updated
Jun 17, 2009
A Moberly pastor and principal accused of molesting a student in a Columbia motel is cleared of the charge.
ABC 17 News was in the courtroom when a judge handed down a not guilty verdict to 42-year old James Wilson.
Prosecutors charged him with misdeameanor child molestation.
Wilson is the leader at the Terrill Road Christian Academy in Moberly.
When the judge read the verdict, Wilson's family screamed and clapped in court.
They were subsequently told to leave, but that didn't take away from their emotions.
They told ABC 17 News justice was served.
"All we wanted was justice. I knew my son was not guilty. People who know Jim said that's just not like James Wilson," says Shirley Griggs, Wilson's mother.
The 16-year-old victim in this case alleged Wilson, who was her principal took her to a Columbia motel and touched her inappropriately in May of last year.
Both Wilson and the victim took the stand in Tuesday's trial.
Wilson was shown a receipt that proved he stayed at the Columbia motel, but he told the judge he went there while his car was being fixed.
Meanwhile, the victim was able to describe that hotel room, but also admitted that she lied about being sexually assaulted by her father years ago.
The judge concluded there was enough reasonable doubt in this case and so he couldn't convict him.
It's a decision that left the prosecutor in the case surprised.
Wilson faces a kidnapping charge related to this case in Randolph County.
We tried to contact the prosecutor there to see how this not guilty verdict affects that charge, but our calls weren't returned.
As of now, Wilson is set to go to trial for that in September.
Stay tuned to ABC 17 News for more developments in this case.
