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An Auckland salesman has been cleared by a jury in Napier on charges of sexual violation and stupefying a 13-year-old girl at a Hastings motel last year.
Niven Andrew Todd, 44, had denied nine charges of sexual violation of the girl, including three of violation by rape, and four of stupefying or rendering the complainant unconscious with intent to sexually violate her.
But he earlier admitted three charges of doing an indecent act on a girl then aged 13 in April and May last year in Hastings, eight separate charges of unlawful sexual connection with a minor on various dates in April, May and September, including one of unlawful connection knowing at the time that he was HIV positive.
Todd's four-day trial at the High Court, Napier, ended on Monday.
The jury initially could not agree on all counts and was sent to deliberate further by Justice Simon France before finding him not guilty on the 13 remaining charges.
Todd, who is in custody, will be sentenced on September 26.
- NZPA
