A Linden man has been found not guilty on all charges after going to trial on six charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
65-year-old Douglas Walsh was originally charged in 2017 after authorities say they learned of incidents that had occurred in August of 2014 at the in-home family child care center operated by Walsh’s wife, Jana.
Authorities conducted interviews with a nine-year-old girl and an eleven-year-old girl, both of whom said Walsh touched them in their genital area on more than one occasion in the basement and upstairs of the home.
Walsh, however, steadfastly maintained his innocence and insisted the case go to trial. A Genesee County jury took less than an hour to reach its verdict.
If convicted, he had faced up to 15 years in prison.
“It was a fair trial, a unanimous decision on all six counts. He was vindicated,” defense attorney Mike Manley told the Tri-County Times, adding that it’s unknown whether Walsh’s wife will pursue getting her in-home daycare license back.
“Their daycare was shut down. That was a travesty,” he said.
