Three Molestation Charges Against Teacher Dropped
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A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday dismissed three remaining molestation charges against a Sixth Avenue Elementary School teacher.
A jury last month acquitted Theodore Stewart, 46, on three counts of child molestation and announced that it deadlocked on three additional charges.
Stewart had been charged with six counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, which prosecutors said involved fondling of the buttocks, breasts and vaginal areas of girls between the ages of 7 and 10.
Judge Larry Tynan threw out the last three charges after prosecutors said they would not seek a retrial.
“We announced that we were unable to proceed, which means we will not retry the case,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Karla Kerlin. “We decided that [a retrial] would not be in the best interest of the children.”
Stewart’s attorney, Leonard Levine, said his client was relieved to have the charges dismissed.
Stewart has been on a compulsory leave of absence, according to a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesman.
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