Spirit Lake, IA (KICD)– The jury in the sexual abuse trial of an Okoboji bus driver has reached a verdict.

It only took about an hour of deliberation for 72-year-old Steven Titterington to be found NOT GUILTY of third sexual abuse and exploitation by a school employee.

In closing arguments, the defense team – led by Chris Sandy – said the prosecution did not prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. He repeated his theme that the trial was a story of a troubled teen and a failed investigation. He asked the jury to remember the pattern he says he demonstrated of the now 16-year-old year lying, changing her story, and said that even her own mother and stepfather must have disbelieved her claims, because they sent her to school on the bus the very next day. He Said the state provided no clear evidence and repeated his theory that the Deputy conducting the investigation tried to coerce an admission, then collected only information that would prove the case. He ended with an acknowledgement that the jury might feel sympathy for the teen accuser, but asked “can you imagine being accused falsely?”

The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s office, represented by Andrew Prosser. He said that while the girl might have lied before, her story about the alleged inappropriate touching on the bus has never wavered. He addressed testimony that the girl showed a news account to other bus riders and laughed, saying “wouldn’t the natural reaction if you really were abused to be happy?” He then asked the jury that if the allegations were made up to deflect other trouble she had, why would she randomly pick her bus driver to blame. Prosser repeated the groundwork he tried to lay in opening arguments that the girl was a prime target because nobody would believe her. He told the jury they could consider the case another “David Versus Goliath” with a 16-year-old “having trouble with life” up against a team of “highly educated, highly trained, lawyers and investigators” who “ransacked” details of her personal life.