Officer acquitted of assault charges
By ERIC HARTLEY
Journal staff writer

     A Prince George's County police officer was found innocent of charges that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl last year.
    Eddie Eugene Ward Jr., 46, was charged with second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and child abuse. A Circuit Court jury acquitted him Wednesday night after deliberating for two hours.
    ``We're pleased that he's been vindicated of these charges," said Ward's lawyer, Richard Seligman. ``He looks forward to the process of healing the wounds from this tragic situation."
    The girl, who was living with Ward last year, testified that Ward made her come to his bedroom several times between June and August 2001, told her to take her clothes off and touched her sexually.
    The Journal does not identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault.
    Ward testified he never touched the girl and said she probably was upset with him because he did not want her to date until she was 16.
    ``It never occurred," Ward said. ``I'm hurt that she even said that. I'm hurt and I'm angry. But, I mean, she's a child."
    Ward said the girl made up the accusations when she thought Ward was going to tell her mother she was dating a boy and had been kissing the boy at school.
    Ward said he found sexually explicit letters the boy had written to the girl, and said she used details from the letters in her accusations.
    ``She's saying what the boy had written he did to her. It's in the letters," Ward said on the stand.
    Ward, a 14-year veteran officer, said he called police as soon as the girl made her accusations because he didn't want to seem as if he was hiding anything.
    Cross-examining Ward, a prosecutor called the officer's honesty into question, noting that a three-member internal board found Ward filed a false statement. Ward said he did not make a false statement, and said the department took the word of a convict over his.
    Seligman said the incident happened several years ago and was irrelevant to the criminal charges against Ward.
    ``I thought that was really a red herring," Seligman said. ``That rose out of a dispute where he was coming to the defense of his mother-in-law."
    Ward still faces a departmental probe of the sexual abuse allegations; Seligman said Ward hopes to return to work and get back pay. Ward has been suspended without pay since he was charged in October.
    Ward testified he also filed an equal-employment opportunity lawsuit against the police department, but gave no details. Seligman said Ward lost the lawsuit.