CLEARLAKE — A jury found a local man not guilty of five charges of child molestation after deliberating for just an hour on Wednesday, according to defense counsel Stephen Carter.
“A verdict in a case this serious usually takes longer than one hour. I think it really shows that the jury was very clear about what needed to happen in light of the fact that the prosecution did not come close to meeting their burden of proof,” Carter said.
Former KPFZ radio host Mark Alvin Knaup, 52, faced the charges for alleged acts with the 15-year-old daughter of his former long-term girlfriend, according to Carter.
Knaup reportedly testified on his own behalf and spoke to his innocence.
Carter called the alleged victim”s credibility “a big problem” in the case.
Knaup was facing more than five years in prison. He was arrested in April 2009 but posted bail immediately and has been out of custody since then, Carter said.
