Retrial date set for former firefighter whose statutory rape trial ended in mistrial

By Celeste Wilson, Angela Williams

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — A retrial date has been set for a former Jackson firefighter charged with statutory rape.

Audric Simmons is accused of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 2020 at a Byram residence. Simmons, a 37-year-old Air Force veteran, denied the accusations during his testimony during his first trial.

After deliberating for several hours during the first trial in May, a Hinds County jury was unable to reach a verdict, forcing Judge Faye Peterson to declare a mistrial. The new trial is set to begin the week of Sept. 15.

A Byram police officer testified during the first trial that Simmons admitted to having sex with the victim, but a video of the interrogation was lost due to technical difficulties with the equipment.

If convicted, Simmons faces 20 years to life in prison.

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