Teacher not guilty of sex assault

File photo / NZ Herald

An Auckland teacher has been cleared of sex charges against a teenage girl in one of his classes.

After fours hours of deliberation, an Auckland District Court jury this morning found the 42-year-old, who has name suppression, not guilty of three charges of indecently assaulting the girl around eight years ago.

The names of the school and the now adult complainant are also suppressed.

The girl was 14 and 15 and the teacher 34 and 35, when the alleged offending took place between February 2001 and September 2002.

The Crown alleged the pair had a relationship starting with non-school related emails, then gifts, including flowers and underwear.

The teacher and the girl started spending time alone on school premises outside school hours, it was alleged, and on several occasions, there was kissing and touching involved.

The teacher denied the alleged incidents happened.

- NZPA