CLEARFIELD – After two days of testimony and roughly four hours of deliberation, a Curwensville man’s trial on child molestation charges ended in a mistrial.
Eric Queen faces charges of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age.
Queen is accused of molesting a girl who was 8-years-old on June 14, 2009 later in the evening after a pool party at his residence.
Testimony began Monday morning and concluded Tuesday afternoon. Following closing arguments and being charged, the jury began deliberating at roughly Noon. At about 4 p.m. the jury emerged. The courtroom was filled with family members and friends from both the accused and the alleged victim.
When the jury came out, the foreperson declared that they were deadlocked. He indicated that members of the jury could not come to a conclusion, guilty or not guilty. The honorable Paul E. Cherry asked him if, give time, the jurors could come to a unified decision.
“Person on both sides didn’t feel they can change their opinion,” said the foreperson.
Cherry declared the trial a mistrial and stated a new trial would be scheduled in accordance with Rule 600.