Overview
- A Melbourne County Court jury returned a not‑guilty verdict on the rape charge on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after roughly two days of deliberation.
- Young remains in custody serving a 28‑year sentence for the murder of Hannah McGuire with earliest parole eligibility in 2046.
- The rape jury was not told about Young’s murder conviction because courts imposed suppression orders to protect his right to a fair trial.
- Prosecutors told the court the complainant alleged Young forced sex in a Sebastopol backyard on February 5, 2024, and she later reported the incident to a school counsellor and to police on April 2, 2024.
- The trial turned on conflicting accounts, limited documentary evidence such as Snapchat messages not being tendered, and Young’s own testimony that he stopped sexual activity when he learned the girl was 16.