A former deputy principal of Bellingen High School (1999-2000) has been cleared of sexual and indecent assault charges after prosecutors decided not to proceed with the case.
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Hilton Stanley Humphries was due to stand trial in Moree District Court on four charges stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred in Moree in 2013.
Mr Humphries had maintained his innocence from the start and had pleaded not guilty to the offences of aggravated sexual assault of a victim under his authority, aggravated indecent assault and two counts of aggravated indecency, and was committed for trial in September, last year.
Detectives had alleged the victim was under the authority of Humphries while he was school principal of Moree Secondary College in 2013.
He was charged by Barwon detectives in May, 2014, after he left Moree court on other matters which were dismissed after the local court magistrate found the offences could not be proven.
In the first day of sittings in the district court, the crown prosecutor told the court the case had been no billed by the Director of Public Prosecutions and there was no further proceedings against the accused.
Acting Judge Kevin O’Connor told Humphries, who was present in court for the proceedings, he was discharged on all charges and free to go.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education confirmed Mr Humphries had been on “non-teaching alternative duties” while the case progressed through the court.
“Once legal proceedings conclude, the Department finalises its own investigation and makes recommendations about further employment,” a spokesperson confirmed.
Mr Humphries was handpicked by the state government as one of 15 “super-principals” to lead its Connected Communities program.
He held principal appointments at Mungindi, Gulgong, Nambucca Heads and Gunnedah.