Kieran Hayler, 39, has been cleared of sexually assaulting and raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl in West Sussex in 2016. The jury returned majority verdicts on Thursday morning after deliberating for nearly 15 hours.
Hayler wept as he was released from the dock at Lewes Crown Court. He had faced three counts of rape, sexual assault, and four alternative charges of sexual activity with a child. The former stripper was married to glamour model and TV personality Katie Price from January 2013 until July 2021.
During the trial, Hayler accused Price of setting him up with fabricated allegations, calling it a "smear campaign against me." He told the court he believed Price had "coached" the alleged victim after discovering messages in which his then-wife suggested he fancied the girl and promised to make her "a little star." Hayler claimed he found the exchange suspicious and took photographs of the messages.
Prosecutor Ryan Richter suggested Hayler only produced the messages because he was "desperate," arguing they showed the complainant admitting sexual things had happened. Hayler countered that the messages supported his defense, asserting he never flirted with the girl.
The court heard that the alleged victim contacted the NSPCC in 2021, which led to a police investigation. Hayler was first interviewed in January 2022, denying all allegations.
Testimony from the alleged victim's mother indicated her daughter liked how Hayler spoke to her, stating he told her he didn't have friends and she could be his best friend. The mother explained she kept her daughter's trust and did not tell her husband about the allegations until after Ms. Price contacted social services in 2018.
Price, called as a witness, denied being angry or vengeful toward Hayler. When cross-examined about the "little star" message, she described it as a figure of speech with no agenda. The alleged victim's mother stated her daughter was not interested in becoming a celebrity.
Hayler also testified about discovering cocaine and empty bottles at Price's home after their split and admitted to fabricating claims of sex addiction for publicity following his affairs with other women during his marriage. He claimed he and Price's management created a narrative around his sex addiction for headlines and income, and to save Price embarrassment over his affair with their nanny.
Hayler and Price married in 2013 and separated in 2018, divorcing three years later. The alleged victim is not part of their extended families.