A former Challenger Middle School teacher accused of having a six-month-long sexual affair with a 13-year-old student was acquitted Thursday by a Pima County Superior Court jury.
Netzahaulcoy Ramos, 34, was charged with six counts of sexual conduct with a minor after the girl told authorities they had had sex around a dozen times between January 2004 and June 2004.
Ramos, a married father of three, testified Tuesday morning he was at a New Year’s Eve party the night the girl says they shared their first kiss.
On the day the girl claims they first had sex, Ramos said he spent the morning shopping for school supplies with his wife and the rest of the day in the Phoenix area visiting his mother and others.
The girl said the last time the pair had sex was June 9 and it was at the Ramoses' house.
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Ramos denied the girl had ever been to his home and said that on June 9, 2004, his wife was six days away from giving birth and was home on maternity leave.
During closing arguments Wednesday, defense attorney Brad Roach suggested that the girl was having an affair with a friend of Ramos’, but told her friends it was Ramos to achieve status.
She told authorities her lover was Ramos because he laughed at her when she told him she planned to marry the friend, Roach said. At 13 years old, the girl didn’t know she was dropping the “nuclear bomb of accusations,” Roach said.
When she tried to recant to her mother and a therapist, Roach said, they ignored her.
Authorities believed her because she knew certain details about properties Ramos owns, but Ramos’ friend likely took her those places, Roach told jurors.
Ramos’ friend’s birthday was noted in the girl’s calendar, but Ramos’ wasn’t, Roach pointed out.
The girl gave conflicting answers when asked if Ramos was circumcised and yet she should have immediately known the answer, Roach said. She also couldn’t remember intimate details of their alleged first encounter, he reminded jurors.
Prosecutor Shawn Jensvold admitted to the jurors that his case had some hurdles to overcome, but he pointed out several witnesses who had no motive to lie provided corroborating statements.
For example, a former friend of the girl’s testified Ramos once asked her if the girl was seeing anyone else.
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