The Allegheny Township man who prosecutors say raped and sexually assaulted six women dating back to the early 2000s told a Westmoreland County jury Thursday he is not guilty of the allegations.
Eric Wright, 50, testified during the third day of his trial . He denied having any improper sexual contact with his teenage accuser or five other adult women who say he raped and molested them over the previous two decades.
Wright was the final witness to testify in his retrial.
A jury deliberated 14 hours over two days last September but was unable to reach a verdict on all 24 counts he faced, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial.
The prosecution claims Wright raped a girl,who is still in her teens, at least three times in 2019. After his arrest on those charges, five other woman came forward and claimed they also were sexually assaulted by Wright.
Wright claims the allegations are fiction. He suggested his accusers made them up upon learning he received a $350,000 out-of-court work injury settlement.
The jury in Wright’s retrial is expected to begin deliberations Friday.
