Editor's note: In 2021, a retrial found Kenneth Ralph Ernst not guilty of 11 charges relating to indecent dealings with a teenage girl.
A former Queensland deputy principal has been cleared of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the 1990s.
Kenneth Ralph Ernst was found not guilty of 11 charges in 2021, including three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, five counts of unlawful indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault.
This came after a re-trial was awarded by the Queensland Supreme Court in 2020.
Mr Ernst was earlier found guilty in Maroochydore District Court of three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and eight counts of indecent assault of a child, one of which had an aggravating circumstance.
In the 2019 hearing, he was found not guilty of unlawful procure for indecent act, one count of sexual assault, attempted rape and one count of indecent assault.
Judge Tony Moynihan told the court in 2019 that Ernst acted in a "gross breach of trust" toward a girl 18 years his junior.
When handing down the 2019 sentence, he acknowledged the irreversible suffering and harm the victim had endured, and that she had to revisit the trauma in a trial due to Ernst's not-guilty plea.
The victim, now an adult woman in her 40s, held back tears while making a statement to the court in 2019 explaining how the prolonged abuse had impacted her life.
"I wonder where my life would be if the defendant hadn't abused me," she said.
"When I saw [a photo] of the little girl in togs smiling at me on the screen, but with sad eyes, that hit me, how young I was.
"The abuse has made it hard to live a normal life, you never know when you'll have a trigger and how long it will last.
"This has had a profound impact on my work, relationships and everyday life … I never know when your face will appear again, but I take some comfort in knowing you will finally be held to account."
The woman told the court in 2019 her journey to justice was made more difficult by people who refused to believe her, or told her "to get over it".
"I know the truth about what happened to me — it is clear in my mind," she said.
"The process of pursuing justice was important to me, as he must be held to account for his reprehensible actions.
"The protection of children must come first, it's more important than reputation, money and maintaining a facade.
"My abuse was finally acknowledged … now I can move on."
She finished her statement by describing herself as a "sexual abuse survivor".
