Army and Navy Academy Headmaster Partially Acquitted in Molestation Trial

The Jeffrey Scott Barton criminal trial came to an end last week, when the former Army and Navy Academy headmaster was acquitted on four of five felony charges that he molested two cadets on a 1997 ski trip. According to a Los Angeles Times report, the case rested heavily on the word of seven men, all of whom are now adults. One of the accusers stated that Barton molested him starting in 1999 when he was in ninth grade.  Barton was twice before investigated by Carlsbad Police, once in 2000 and again in 2010, after adults reported suspicious behavior with cadets. In each occurrence, the boys denied the abuse, and no charges were filed. However, the accuser who was the subject of the 2000 evaluation was the same person who contacted authorities in 2013, leading to the eventual 2015 trial.  After five days of deliberations, the deadlocked 11-1 on the remaining counts, and Vista Superior Court Judge Harry Elias declared a mistrial. They did not indicate which way the majority was leaning.   Barton remains jailed in lieu of $5.2 million bail. A hearing was set for Thursday to discuss the remaining charges.