A sports coach accused of molesting a young athlete will not face a retrial after the prosecution offered no further evidence against him.

A jury failed to reach a verdict on a sexual assault charge against Chris Bowman at Maidstone Crown Court in September, and a new trial was ordered for December 17.

The 48-year-old, who coached in Medway and Maidstone, was alleged to have groped an 11-year-old boy while carrying out an examination to check his development in Gillingham in October last year.

But prosecutor Michael Riley told Judge David Griffith-Jones QC that the boy and his parents did not want to take the matter any further.

“Effectively, the complainant was saying he did not want to continue and go through the trial process for a second time,” said Mr Riley.

“The matter has been considered at a high level at the Crown Prosecution Service. His parents are fully supportive of him. In those circumstances, the Crown will offer no evidence on the single count on the indictment.”

The judge entered a formal not guilty verdict.

At the trial, the prosecution alleged Mr Bowman, of Reinden Grove, Downswood, Maidstone, asked the boy about puberty and then pulled his shorts down, stared at his genitals and touched him.

The boy, who cannot be identified, claimed Mr Bowman told him not to tell his parents.

The coach denied molesting the boy and claimed he pulled down his own shorts after telling him he had a problem with his testicles.

“He took his underpants and other layers down and showed me his genital area,” he said. “I pulled them back up and said: ‘I don’t think you mother would be very happy about that.’”

Mr Bowman, who mentored decathlon Olympic hopeful Martin Brockman, admitted he did not follow a code of practice advising not to be alone with a child.

“I knew what was on the best practice list, but common practice does not match the best practice list,” he said.

Mr Bowman said there had never been any complaint about him in the 28 years of coaching.