No rape on dates, hoaxer's jury says

But the women's continued contacts with Marsalis - one befriended him, another had dinner with him, one called to recommend he go to a self-improvement seminar she was attending - had some trial followers believing the defense's contention that the women had consensual sex with him and regretted it after authorities told them that he was a fraud.

An official of Women Organized Against Rape, which monitored the trial, said she was pleased that the jury had held Marsalis "accountable for his actions," but was disappointed it had acquitted him of the most serious charges.

"We had hoped that he would be found guilty of all the charges," said Kathryn Fidler, the group's legal services director, who was in court each day of the trial.

"But our primary focus was, first and foremost, on the well-being of the victims in the case," she said. "It is very difficult to come into an open courtroom and have to talk about the worst experiences of your life. We really respect the women for doing that."

Marsalis was found not guilty in January 2006 of drugging and raping three other women.

Inquirer staff writers Jennifer Lin and Tom Infield contributed to this article.