A MAN accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in his care almost 10 years ago has had all nine charges against him withdrawn and dismissed.
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The man, who cannot be identified to protect the complainants, was arraigned in the Bathurst District Court before Judge Colefax on Monday, charged with a string of child sex offences.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
But in a spectacular turn of events, on Wednesday, the third day of the trial, the Director of Public Prosecution directed no further action be taken in relation to Counts 1 to 9 inclusive of the indictment dated February 18, 2019.
The man was charged by police in 2017 with a string of offences including three counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, under authority, an alternative charge of assault, commit an act of indecency, two counts of producing child pornography, and three counts of inciting a child under 10 years to commit an act of indecency.
The charges related to allegations the man assaulted the two young girls while he was babysitting them in 2009.
The trial heard their mother had gone to police in 2009 after the children first raised the allegations of abuse, but at the time the very young girls were not interviewed by police.
The allegations were raised again in 2017 when arrangements were made for the two girls to be interviewed by police.