A Carbon County jury panel of five women and seven men found a Jim Thorpe man not guilty of five criminal counts, including rape of an unconscious person, on Wednesday afternoon following a two-day trial.

James Robert Glaze, 35, was charged by state police at Lehighton with four counts including the rape charge plus involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person, aggravated indecent assault and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Previously the Times News reported Glaze was a former resident of Carbon County. He is a resident of the county and has been since the incident was first reported.

Glaze was accused of crimes against a then 19-year-old woman who came to his home for a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31, 2017, into Jan. 1, 2018. She was invited to the party by Glaze’s then girlfriend.

On Wednesday, Glaze testified and admitted having sexual contact with the victim but claimed she “came on to him” and also said he never gave her any alcohol at the party.

The most damaging testimony in favor of the defense was that of the girlfriend who invited the victim to the party.

She said they were “close friends” from high school and admitted inviting her to a party at Glaze’s home, where she was living. She said she and Glaze went to Easton to pick up the girl.

Once at Glaze’s Penn Forest Township home, she received a call from friends who asked to attend the party. She said Glaze then left to pick up the friends.

While Glaze was gone she said she mixed a drink of alcohol and soda for the girl and gave it to her. Glaze later returned with the other people and all went into an upstairs room where they sat and talked.

Defense attorney Eric Wiltrout, of the public defender’s office, asked if she ever saw Glaze give the girl any alcohol, and she said, “I never saw him give her anything to drink.”

She also testified that the girl was sending text messages to her boyfriend while at the home and that she was upset because the boyfriend was at first not answering the texts, then that he was not happy that she was at the party.

She also said the girl went to bed about 11 p.m. and she walked her to the bedroom she was going to stay in. She said she did not show any signs of being intoxicated. She said she went to bed later and never heard any yelling or screaming during the night.

Under questioning by Assistant District Attorney Brian B. Gazo, the girl said she knew Glaze for a few months before moving in with him. She said the relationship ended some time later and that she was in a new relationship. She also said she was the only one making drinks for the girl and that she gave her two, but the second one was not finished by the girl.

On Tuesday the girl testified that she was under the influence of alcohol, had passed out and was “in and out” of consciousness due consuming alcohol. She said she never had alcohol before that night and said Glaze was the one giving her drinks. She also said she did not have any drinks with her girlfriend when Glaze left the residence.

Defendant testifies

Glaze testified he and his then girlfriend only decided to have a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 30, 2017, and finalized it on Dec. 31. He said the girlfriend asked if she could invite her longtime friend, which he said was all right with him.

He said the girl was texting while at the party and was visibly upset. He said she told him about her boyfriend and he offered to help by speaking to the boyfriend and explaining about the party. He said the girl gave him her phone and while he had it the boyfriend called. He answered and the two got into a heated argument. He claimed the boyfriend, at one point, threatened him.

He said the party continued after the girl went to bed. He said the friends he went to pick up earlier all left with another ride. While they were leaving, a male friend of his arrived. He said he, the girlfriend and the friend went back into the room and watched the “ball drop” before going to bed an hour or two later.

He said the girlfriend was going to check on the girl but he offered to go because he said he was closer to the door at the time.

He said when he entered the bedroom of the girl, the girl said to him, “come here.” She then pulled him toward her and they started to “make out.” He said the girl was partially naked, from the waist down. He said as he was ready to have intercourse with the girl, she said, “Don’t get me pregnant.” He said he stopped, put his clothes back on and left the room.

During an interview with state police on Jan. 2, 2018, he denied having sexual contact with the girl. He said he became scared when the trooper told him he was being questioned about a rape allegation and that was why he denied having contact with her.

He said the next morning the girl came to his room and asked for a ride home. He said he told her he would take her home but she had to wait a few hours until he felt he was ready to drive. He said he never saw her again after that.

Under cross-examination, Glaze admitted that he never went back to the police to say he had lied about having sexual contact with the girl. Concerning the interview with police, he repeated, “I got scared.”

In Tuesday’s testimony, an expert in DNA said she found Glaze’s DNA present on a test of the girl’s private area. Glaze agreed to give a DNA sample to the state police at the Jan. 2 interview.

The trial was held before Judge Steven R. Serfass.