NASHUA – A Superior Court jury on Friday returned verdicts of not guilty in the case of Ryan Reese, the 19-year-old Hudson man accused by a teenage acquaintance of engaging in sex with her when she was too drunk to resist or give her consent.

Jurors began their deliberations shortly after 9 a.m. Friday, and before the day was out reached the not-guilty verdicts on each of four felony counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, on which Reese was indicted in December 2018.

“My client is very pleased with the outcome,” said Attorney Timothy Goulden, who represented Reese with Attorney Robert Johnson III. Goulden opted not to comment further on the case or the verdicts.

The allegations were lodged against Reese a few days after he attended an underage drinking party his accuser hosted at her parents’ Hudson residence, according to testimony.

While the prosecution and defense pretty much agreed the party, which took place June 9-10, 2017, “got out of hand” and involved significant quantities of alcohol being consumed, mainly by teenagers, their respective accounts of the circumstances surrounding the interaction between Reese and his accuser differed at almost every turn.

While the prosecutors, Assistant County Attorneys Cassie Devine and Michael Miller, cited testimony describing the girl as “unconscious,” “out of it,” “incoherent,” and unable to walk on her own or respond to questions, the defense insisted she was “awake,” “aware” and in control throughout the period of time she and Reese were together.

Goulden also criticized the police investigation into the allegations, suggesting the investigating officer and supervising detective “cherry picked” certain statements by the girl’s sister and several of her friends that “fit (the officers’) narrative” of the investigation.

As a result, Goulden said, police “did not obtain key evidence” during their investigation.

Devine disagreed, however, insisting that the statements, and testimony at trial, given by the three or four people who spent the most time helping the girl’s older sister tend to the girl and try to sober her up, were virtually identical.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_DeanS.