A jury reached not guilty verdicts on several counts Friday against a man accused of molesting students at the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, but deadlocked on more than one dozen other charges.
Jeffrey Barton, 57, was charged with a total of 28 counts in connection with the molestation accusations, including sodomy and lewd acts on a child. A jury found him not guilty of two count of sodomy of a minor by duress, one count of sodomy of an unconscious minor and one count of lewd act on a child.
The jury deadlocked on more than a dozen charges of oral copulation by force. Barton will have another hearing on Nov. 12.
Barton was first arrested on Oct. 17, 2013. At that time, investigators said at least six former students of the Army and Navy Academy had accused him of sexual molestation.
Carlsbad police began investigating Barton in June 2013 after an alleged victim, now an adult, reported sexual abuse. Investigators anticipated more victims would come forward in the case.
Barton was a longtime administrator of the Army and Navy Academy, working at the boarding school from 1995 to 2013. He served as Head of Schools.
In May 2014, another victim came forward accusing Barton of sexual molestation and the suspect was charged with seven new counts.
Prosecutors alleged Barton had given his victims drug-laced brownies to incapacitate them prior to the sexual molestations. Barton’s baked goods became known around campus, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Barton’s victims spanned three separate decades, three separate boarding schools and seven separate school years. Besides the school in Carlsbad, Barton has also worked at schools in Tennessee and South Carolina.
Prosecutors said all of Barton’s accusers are now adults and were too ashamed to report the alleged crimes when they happened.
All of the alleged incidents took place in Barton’s private cottage at the Army and Navy Academy, in his car, in his office and on overnight trips.
Barton pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In May 2014, Barton’s attorney was confident the defendant would be found not guilty on all charges once the jury heard the evidence at trial.
