07/25/2008

Associated Press

A mistrial has been declared in the first "Jessica's Law" child sex abuse case in Corvallis after a jury deadlocked following three days of deliberations.

The jury was considering whether to apply the mandatory sentencing law to 42-year-old Robert Stom, who was accused of abusing an 11-year-old Corvallis girl while babysitting her in February 2007.

The girl was staying with Stom and his wife after their neighbor suffered food poisoning and Stom drove him to the hospital.

Stom has denied the charges. But prosecutors said the girl's story never changed and was consistent when she told her mother, police, a doctor and the jury.

The case will be scheduled for another trial during a hearing on July 31.

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Information from: Gazette-Times, http://www.gtconnect.com