ELLSWORTH — A Hancock County jury Tuesday found a Penobscot man not guilty of touching a teenage girl after giving her a ride home last July.

The state had charged Michael Webber, 37, with unlawful sexual contact and assault — both misdemeanors.

The alleged incident occurred the evening of July 11 when Webber was driving the girl, who is one of his daughter’s friends, home from a Penobscot Days celebration.

The girl, 14, testified Tuesday that Webber reached back to the back seat of the truck and touched the inside of her thigh. She was wearing long pants.

When the girl was interviewed by Detective Stephen McFarland shortly after the incident, she said Webber tried to put his arms around her as she tried to get out of the truck.

Defense attorney Steven Juskewitch told the jury in his opening statement that unlawful sexual contact is defined as touching someone with the intent to be sexually gratified.

Juskewitch questioned the state’s accusation that Webber would be gratified touching a teenage girl’s leg while driving a pickup truck with his daughter asleep next to him in the front seat.

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