Ontario Court Justice William Horkins today acquitted former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi of four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking.

In October and November 2014, three women went to the police and filed abuse complaints against Ghomeshi, claiming he sexually assaulted them between 2002 and 2003. This followed a police investigation that began after allegations from unidentified women appeared in the Toronto Star and other media outlets claiming Ghomeshi was violent during dates and sexual encounters.

In a Facebook post, Ghomeshi said he had engaged in rough sex acts, but maintained that it was always consensual. He wrote in the post that he would meet the allegations directly.

The trial has opened up a larger discussion about how our society talks about and deals with sexual assault.

Ghomeshi will also face another trial in June for one count of sexual assault.

Read the full verdict here.

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