Los Angeles Jury Acquits Former TV Reporter Of Sex Allegations

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A retired police sergeant-turned-TV reporter was acquitted of allegations he inappropriately touched two 12-year-old boys aboard a cruise ship last fall. <br/><br/>A federal jury Monday

Tuesday, June 12th 2007, 7:06 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A retired police sergeant-turned-TV reporter was acquitted of allegations he inappropriately touched two 12-year-old boys aboard a cruise ship last fall.

A federal jury Monday deliberated for about two hours before finding Roderick ``Rod'' Bernsen not guilty on two counts of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

``My life will never be the same,'' Bernsen said outside court. ``I will have to live with the stigma every day of my life.''

Prosecutors declined comment.

Bernsen, who now lives in Colorado, was arrested Oct. 7 by FBI agents investigating a complaint by the mother of one of the boys.

Authorities said the boys claimed Bernsen exposed himself while in the ship's spa area and inappropriately touched one boy with his toe and slapped the other's bare buttocks.

Bernsen has denied touching the boys or making sexual remarks to them.

Bernsen was KTTV-TV's law enforcement specialist until he left the station in 2004. He had previously been a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant and spokesman.