Former Baltimore high school wrestling coach found not guilty in child sex abuse case

BALTIMORE -- Neil Adleberg, a former prominent wrestling coach, has been found not guilty on all charges related to accusations he assaulted a former wrestler he took under his wing in 2013 and 2014.

The verdict arrived after closing arguments were heard on Thursday.

Adleberg, 75, was accused of child sexual abuse dating back to 2013 and 2014 when he was assisting with the Mount Saint Joseph High School wrestling team. His alleged victim was 17 years old at the time.

Adleberg was the school's head wrestling coach in the 1970s and was a prominent fixture in the wrestling community. Nearly 40 years later, he returned as an assistant.

The alleged victim was not a student at Mount Saint Joseph High School, according to attorneys.

The two met at a wrestling tournament while the alleged victim was a senior at another high school, according to court documents.

The trial comes more than a year after a grand jury indicted Adleberg on charges including second-degree rape and sexual abuse of a minor.

Shortly after the verdict, Adleberg stood outside the courthouse with his attorney, Joseph Murtha, and more than a dozen supporters. Most of them testified to his character.

"The most important thing for me to say is how much I appreciate my family and my friends who stuck with me through all the bad publicity," Adleberg said.

Overall, Circuit Court Judge Dennis Robinson said a not guilty verdict just means prosecutors weren't able to meet the burden of proof required of the charges.

From the beginning, Murtha relied on poking holes in the allegations' timeline.

"I believe this case was brought about by the Attorney General's office because, after years of investigation, they had nothing to show for it," Murtha said. "They made the decision, hastily, without doing all the work that was necessary."

Initially, the charges focused on incidents between December 2013 and June 2014. But, during the trial, prosecutors dropped some charges to hone in on a reported incident in Adleberg's home in June 2014.

While reading his verdict, Robinson noted concern that the accuser's testimony was inconsistent. He also noted the testimonies of Adleberg, Adleberg's wife, as well as a former roommate of the accuser to be consistent.

Additionally, Robinson said the abuse could have happened after the accuser's 18th birthday, citing there was no definitive evidence it happened before.

The Attorney General's office prosecuted the case, tipped off to it while investigating the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"The outcome of the trial does not diminish the courage of the survivor in this case . . . . To the survivor, your voice matters, your story deserved to be heard no matter the outcome of this trial," Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. "We continue to stand with you; we believe you."

As for what's next for Adleberg, he plans to build back his reputation.

"I'm not sure exactly how to do it, but I know that everybody who knows me knows for 50 years that integrity and character are one of the most important characteristics I have," he said.

During the trial, prosecutors presented a lot of texts and emails to illustrate Adleberg as a controlling and manipulative man.

Robinson acknowledged them, saying they were "troubling, inappropriate and downright creepy." But also, he said that's not what Adleberg was on trial for.