Former Gloucester firefighters' union president Clinton Carroll was cleared of all indecent child assault charges this morning in Gloucester District Court.
In a court filing explaining why they were throwing out the charges against Carroll, prosecutors from District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett's office said that pursuing the case "is not in the best interest of the (victim) at this time."
Carroll had been facing two counts each of indecent assault and battery of a child and reckless endangerment of a child. He was arrested at the end of July and accused of having a romantic relationship with an O'Maley Middle School student starting when she was 13 years old.
Since that time, he has maintained that his relationship with the girl was only friendship and the case against him a "set up.".
"I am just happy it is over," Carroll said this morning when reached by phone. "Now I am just looking to get my job back."
Carroll was fired by Mayor Carolyn Kirk two weeks after his arrest. He challenged his termination through the state civil service system and that appeal has been awaiting the results of the criminal trial.
Carroll said a civil service conference was scheduled for tomorrow.
We will update this story at gloucestertimes.com later today with further reaction and as more information becomes available. To have updates regarding this and other Breaking News stories regularly sent to your mobile phone, sign up for the Times free text-alert service on the gloucestertimes.com home page. For full coverage, look to tomorrow's print and online edition of the Gloucester Daily Times and gloucestertimes.com
Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com
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