A Robeson County jury deliberated nearly an hour before finding Gary Glover, 33, of 32 King St., not guilty. Glover was charged in June 2003 with felony first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13 and three counts of felony first-degree sex offense of a child, Glover's lawyer Ken Ransom said.
"I argued to the jury that she was covering for (another male relative) and her relationship with him," Ransom said. "I think the jury believed that she was covering for him."
Ransom said Glover was accused of molesting the girl three times: July 4, 2002, in a barn behind his home; inside his home in October 2002; and in her grandmother's yard in St. Pauls on Dec. 24, 2002.
Glover testified that on July 4, 2002, he and his family were visiting a water park in Greensboro and didn't come back to Robeson County until after dark. His wife verified his testimony and showed photographs of the trip, Ransom said.
Assistant District Attorney Valerie Pearce said the girl's grandmother, Mary Watson, testified that she heard a phone conversation between the girl and another relative, during which the man asked personal questions, including whether she had had her menstrual period.
Pearce said the girl, who is now 13 years old, had "a difficult time describing what happened in front of the jury. hroughout her entire testimony, she covered the left side of her face with her left hand so she didn't have to look at him.
"I think there was no doubt in their mind that she was raped, but the question was by whom," Pearce said. "The jury doubted who did it."
Pearce said Dr. Laura Gutman, of Fayetteville, testified that the girl was physically scarred from a sexual assault.
Ransom said Glover lost his job at L.K. Southern after he was accused of the molestation charges and could have faced 12 years to life in prison without the opportunity for parole if he had been found guilty.
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