Charges of rape and kidnapping filed against former Kingsport Alderman Hoyt Denton, 74, Monday after a security camera video refuted parts of the allege victim’s testimony, reports the Times-News. Instead, Denton plead “no contest” to a charge of assault by offensive touching.
He was given six months unsupervised probation for the assault charge and will be able to have his record expunged once the probationary period is over.
A no contest plea concedes the charges alleged without disputing or admitting guilt and without offering a defense.
The charges were amended and dropped after a review of surveillance evidence which the prosecutor said contradicted the alleged victim’s testimony.
“In the preliminary hearing, she was nailed down to the concept that this event had happened in a storage unit and that she rushed out of there, got away and left the property,” said Assistant District Attorney General Dennis Brooks, who was the special prosecutor for the case. “The video surveillance evidence clearly showed she did not leave the property.”
Brooks said the video showed the woman drove around to the office and went inside with Denton. The two then stayed inside the office alone for approximately 18 minutes. Then the woman exited the office.
…Denton’s time in a court room is not done just yet. He still faces a $3 million civil lawsuit filed against him by the same woman.