Ex-manager acquitted in sexual assault on busboy

A former manager at an Eastport restaurant was acquitted yesterday of sexual assault charges in a brutal attack on a young dishwasher.

Edward J. Farrell, 45, had faced felony assault and sex offense charges. Annapolis police said the 18-year-old was violated with a garden hose in an alley outside the Boatyard Bar and Grill.

The young man suffered severe colon damage and underwent surgery twice. But after a two-day trial, Circuit Court Judge Joseph P. Manck said he was left with too many questions about what happened early on June 27 of last year.

"This is obviously an incredibly bizarre case," Judge Manck said. "I just...