Judge dismisses charges against man in sex case

WARREN --A Trumbull County judge found that there was not enough evidence to convict a 41-year-old city man of attempted rape and gross sexual imposition.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay of common pleas court granted Atty. Jeff Goodman's request Tuesday to dismiss the charges filed against his client Thomas Hobbs Sr.
Goodman told the court that he did not believe the prosecutor was able to prove that his client was guilty of any crime, court officials said.
Goodman noted that the accuser recanted her allegations several times and that there was no physical or medical evidence connected to the case.
The judge's ruling came moments after the prosecution rested its case.
"We are very pleased with the outcome and Mr. Hobbs is looking forward to putting this behind him and getting on with the rest of his life," Goodman said.
Atty. Thomas Wrenn, an assistant county prosecutor who handled the case, could not be reached to comment.
Hobbs' jury trial started Monday.
During testimony, the teen-ager accused Hobbs of molesting and trying to rape her several times between summer 1998 and fall 1999.
During cross-examination by Goodman, however, the girl admitted that she recanted her allegations six times. The girl, who is now 16, knew Hobbs.
The girl's brother also testified that his sister told him to lie to investigators about the alleged attacks.