Jury says Marblehead man not guilty of raping half-brother 25 years ago

SALEM – A Superior Court jury deliberated for about four hours before finding Richard Jones Jr., a Marblehead school janitor, innocent of rape of a child.The jury comprised of five women and seven men heard testimony over a two-day span before they began deliberations on Thursday morning at 11:40 a.m., returning a not-guilty verdict just before 3:30 p.m.Jones, 42, of 29 Auburndale Road, Marblehead, showed little reaction as the foreman read aloud the jury’s decision.Prosecutors had accused Jones of rape of his half-brother stemming from incidents that occurred between November 1982 and May 17, 1986 while the family lived in an apartment in Peabody.The now 33-year-old victim testified he was physically abused and raped by Jones.Jones did not testify during the trial.Defense lawyer Jessica Thrall pointed out inconsistencies and contradictions that were made by the alleged victim during the trial as well as the initial investigation of the case.She described Jones as an “scapegoat” for the accuser, whom she said “lied” to gain sympathy and portray himself as a victim to his family.Judge Howard J. Whitehead presided over the trial.However, Jones’ problems are not over, despite the acquittal. He still faces other child rape and sexual assault charges involving the sexual abuse of two girls in Marblehead.The two girls, who were in the fifth and sixth grade at the time, are now teenagers and known to him.Those allegations stem back to February 2001 and also between August 2005 and June 2007.Jones, who worked at Coffin School in Marblehead as a janitor at the time of his arrest back, has since been suspended.There have not been any allegations that Jones sexually abused any students at the schools where he worked.Jones remains free on bail. He is expected to go to trial on Oct. 4 on the pending charges, which he denies.