Katie Price's ex-husband cleared of raping 13-year-old girl
An English court has found Kieran Hayler, the former husband of media personality Katie Price, not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The jury reached its verdict after almost 15 hours of deliberation.
Kieran Hayler, 39, the ex-husband of British media personality Katie Price, has been found not guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl. The verdict at Lewes Crown Court in England brings to an end a trial in which he faced serious charges involving a child.
The allegations related to 2016 in West Sussex, when Hayler was married to Price. He was acquitted of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He was also found not guilty of four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
The trial
Hayler denied the allegations. He told the jury he believed they had been fabricated. In court, he said Price had "launched a campaign" against him after their marriage broke down, and that the allegations were part of it.
The jury, made up of four men and six women, delivered its verdicts after 14 hours and 55 minutes of deliberation. Hayler was emotional and bent over when he was told he could leave the dock.
Background
Price and Hayler separated in 2018, and their divorce was finalised in 2021.
