COURTLAND—A jury deliberated 3½ hours Friday before returning not-guilty verdicts for a Franklin man accused of sexually abusing a boy 25 years ago.

A trial on the same charges in April ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to agree on a verdict for Samuel Parker Drewry, 57.

Drewry faced two aggravated sexual battery charges in Southampton County Circuit Court for alleged incidents in August and December 1985, when the alleged victim was 12 and 13 years old, respectively.

“I’m just thankful to the jury for their decision,” Drewry said after his two-day trial.

Attorney Jack Randall, who, along with attorney Dan Crumpler, represented Drewry in court, said it was a “good verdict.”

“It was consistent with the facts of the case,” Randall said.

He argued there was no physical evidence tying his client to the alleged crimes.

“Sympathy, bias and emotion. That’s the commonwealth’s evidence and they’re asking you to convict someone on this garbage,” Randall told jurors.

The alleged victim testified on Thursday he didn’t immediately report the alleged abuse to authorities because he was “ashamed” and “scared.”

Prosecutor George Bruch said the alleged victim, now 37, came forward after he became a father, and it had nothing to do with a monetary settlement the Drewrys were set to receive.

“When a person becomes a parent, they look at the world differently,” Bruch said, adding the alleged victim didn’t want Drewry around young boys alone.