Former Gunpowder Falls State Park manager acquitted of rape and assault charges

BALTIMORE -- Former Gunpowder Falls State Park Manager Michael Browning was acquitted of rape and assault charges after the jury deliberated for more than a day in a trial involving two former park employees.

Browning was only found guilty of a fourth-degree sexual offense charge.

After five days of testimony and evidence, the 72-year-old man is able to walk away free.

Browning was arrested back in September for raping and assaulting a woman he worked with at Gunpowder Falls State Park. By the time a grand jury indicted him a month later, a second accuser came forward.

He was facing 27 counts overall: nine counts each of second-degree rape, second-degree assault, and fourth-degree sexual offense.

The jury only convicted him on one count of sexual offense. 

Browning will return to court Monday for sentencing. His charge carries a maximum penalty of up to a year in prison.

Opening statements were heard on March 30 following two days of jury selection.

Both of Browning's accusers took the stand during the five days of testimony in this trial and both described three times they say Browning forced himself on them.

While talking about one of those instances on the stand, the first accuser said, "I remembered look up at the light, thinking, I'm being raped right now.

All of the incidents happened on Gunpowder Falls State Park property. 

Both also claimed being forced to do sexual acts with each other, saying it was a fantasy for Browning to see two women together.

In his case, assistant state's attorney Brian Botts described Maryland's largest state park as Browning's "sexual playground."

They also argued that while most of the sexual relationships with both accusers were consensual, there were clear times consent wasn't given.

In court, Botts played two videos for the jury: a recording of a call in September, where police say Browning admitted to raping the first accuser, and police's interview with Browning that happened about eight hours after that call.

In that interview, Browning initially denied having sex with either accuser. When he was confronted with his rape charges, Browning had a big reaction, saying, "Rape? Rape? Rape? I never raped that girl."

Defending his client, Browning's attorney Gary Bernstein referred to binders full of texts. He questioned how both women could accuse Browning of this when they'd text him things like, "I'm really sad I'm not pleasing you," and "I need pillow talk."

He also pointed out their usage of emojis, mostly with sexual connotations.

Both of Browning's accusers are now 30 and 25, and both have become Baltimore County Police officers.

Closing arguments were made on Wednesday before jurors were given their instructions.

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