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Katie Price's ex-husband Kieran Hayler is found not guilty of raping 13-year-old girl

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Lawrence, T. (2026, October 22). Katie Price's ex-husband Kieran Hayler is found not guilty of raping 13-year-old girl. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16226145/Katie-Prices-ex-husband-Kieran-Hayler-not-guilty-raping-13-year-old-girl.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-22 · by Tom Lawrence

Quick Summary

Kieran Hayler, 39 and ex-husband of Katie Price, was found not guilty on Thursday at Lewes Crown Court of raping a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016. The jury deliberated for nearly 15 hours before delivering the verdicts after hearing claims that Hayler had sexually assaulted the minor. During the trial, Hayler accused Price of coaching the alleged victim and pointed to messages on her phone as evidence, suggesting a breakdown in trust between them by mid-2013 due to infidelity on both sides.
Written by AI on 2026-10-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Kieran Hayler, 39, was found not guilty on October 22, 2026, by a jury at Lewes Crown Court of raping a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016 while he was married to Katie Price. The jury deliberated for nearly 15 hours before delivering their verdicts. Hayler also faced four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child, all of which he was cleared of. During the trial, Hayler maintained that the allegations were part of a "smear campaign" by his ex-wife and admitted to having affairs with three older women during his marriage to Price from January 2013 until July 2021. His emotional release from the dock was witnessed as he wept, bent over, and thanked his supporters for their support through "five years of absolute hell."

Written for “Kieran Hayler Acquitted Of Rape” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Kieran Hayler Acquitted Of Rape
Crime & Law · 5 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
BBC News
Hedges 1 of 8 claims Outlet record 68/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 2 of 17 claims Outlet record 65/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 1 of 24 claims Outlet record 65/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 2 of 29 claims Outlet record 65/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 4 of 55 claims Outlet record 68/100
“Article A reports on the verdict of Kieran Hayler's trial, while Article B discusses public reactions and background context leading up to the trial.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
95
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
5 of 95 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
5
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-22 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8606 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Tom Lawrence
38 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The King received a warm welcome in The Bahamas as he touched down on Tuesday - ahead of what could prove to be a bumpy autumn royal tour.
🔮 I'm not, as you may think, describing President Donald Trump's ill-conceived and abortive assault on Iran, or Putin's wicked war in Ukraine, both of which have led to global instability.
🔮 Bru was the first capybara to be born in Scotland in 18 years and is set to experience the spooky season for the first time.
🔮 The then-mayor of Greater Manchester took to the floor with professional dancer Cara Tighe at a fundraising event for Rob Burrow, the late rugby league player who suffered from motor neurone disease.
🔮 They went to return it to their jewellery box when they noticed that some expensive items were missing. Fearing that the new carer may have been the culprit, they set up some hidden cameras in the bedroom. On just her second shift on November 26, 2025, Jones was caught by cameras stealing from a drawer and a wardrobe.
🔮 Now Medvedev's chilling rant and demand for a CIA hit squad may be seen as a sign of the Kremlin failing in its war with Ukraine.
🔮 Last week, more than 200 people marched through the village, which has a population of around 3,000 people, after Fenland District Council was told by the Home Office that the site could 'provide 26 bed spaces for mothers and babies'.
🔮 In another message, the former glamour model told the girl: 'I will make you a little star.'
🔮 Taha Derwish sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl despite knowing her age Dewish had been staying at the Royal Hotel in Crewe, the court previously heard Detective Sergeant George Booth said: 'Firstly, I would like to commend the girls involved in this incident, who were understandably left shaken and upset by Derwish's actions. '
🔮 He said: 'Someone parked right in front of our shutter, so we couldn't open the warehouse.'
Also by Tom Lawrence
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 38 articles by Tom Lawrence →

Topics

East Sussex Lewes Crown Court London Northchapel West Sussex

Subjects

Hayler PERSON · 13× Price PERSON · 8× Arlette Piercy PERSON · 2× Kieran Hayler PERSON · 2× Michelle Pentecost PERSON · 2× West Sussex GPE · 2× Katie Price's PERSON · 1× Lewes Crown Court ORG · 1× London GPE · 1× Northchapel GPE · 1×

Narrative

Hayler told the court: 'I am attracted to older women', adding that all his significant relationships had been with older women. The former couple at the UK premiere for the film Fifty Shades Darker in London in 2017 Kieran Hayler outside Lewes Crown Court, East Sussex today He admitted having affairs with three other women during his marriage to Price, but claimed she had also been unfaithful. The court heard that trust between the couple's relationship had broken down by mid-2013, with Hayler telling jurors that 'trust had gone on both sides'.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-22
🔮 In another message, the former glamour model told the girl: 'I will make you a little star.'

Claims (95 extracted, 5 hedged)

Katie Price's ex-husband has been found not guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl. asserted
husband → find → girl
Kieran Hayler, 39, was accused of sexually assaulting and raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl in West Sussex in 2016. asserted
Hayler → accuse → 2016
The 10 jury members returned majority decisions on Thursday morning after deliberating for nearly 15 hours. asserted
members → return → hours
Mr Hayler of Northchapel, West Sussex, wept as he was released from the dock at Lewes Crown Court. asserted
he → weep → Court
His mum and former partner Michelle Pentecost were crying as the verdicts were delivered. asserted
verdicts → cry → ?
Mr Hayler was cleared of three counts of rape, sexual assault and alternative charges of sexual activity with a child. asserted
Hayler → clear → child
Hayler accused Price of 'coaching' the alleged victim after discovering messages in which his then-wife suggested he fancied the girl and promised to make her 'a little star'. uncertain
her → accuse → girl
Hayler told the court: 'I am attracted to older women', adding that all his significant relationships had been with older women. The former couple at the UK premiere for the film Fifty Shades Darker in London in 2017 Kieran Hayler outside Lewes Crown Court, East Sussex today He admitted having affairs with three other women during his marriage to Price, but claimed she had also been unfaithful. The court heard that trust between the couple's relationship had broken down by mid-2013, with Hayler telling jurors that 'trust had gone on both sides'. asserted
trust → tell → sides
Hayler said he discovered messages between his wife and the alleged victim in 2017 while searching Price's phone for evidence that she was having an affair. asserted
she → say → affair
Judge Mark van der Zwart sent out of the jury, made up of six women and five men, to begin their deliberations on Tuesday afternoon. asserted
Zwart → send → afternoon
In closing speeches on Monday, prosecutor Ryan Richter said: 'You've seen the big personalities, the big egos in this case and you'll judge it, you'll cut through it. ' asserted
you → close → it
You'll decide whether those big voices drown out the voice of (the complainant) or whether that voice has made you sure on the counts of this indictment.' asserted
you → decide → indictment
Defence barrister Arlette Piercy said in her closing speech that Hayler has been consistent and clear throughout his defence, in what has been a 'roller coaster ride for everybody in this court'. asserted
what → say → court
She called for the jury to take care, be calm and rational, warning 'emotion is enemy of reason'. asserted
emotion → call → reason
The court previously heard that Price had messaged the teenager claiming she had heard Hayler and the girl had kissed and that he had 'tried it on' with her. asserted
he → hear → her
In another message, the former glamour model told the girl: 'I will make you a little star.' asserted
you → tell → girl
Hayler said he found the exchange suspicious and took photographs of the messages on his own phone. asserted
exchange → say → phone
Asked by his defence barrister Arlette Piercy why he had photographed them, he replied: 'Because she made out that I fancied (the complainant). ' asserted
I → ask → complainant
I thought, 'This is a bit weird.'' Giving evidence in the defence case last week, Hayler's former partner Michelle Pentecost told the court Ms Price made 'numerous threats' – more than 60 – to both herself and Hayler during their seven-year relationship. asserted
Price → think → relationship
Asked about the kind of threats, she said they were made over the phone or on video calls, and included phrases like 'I'm going to ruin you Kieran, I'm going to ruin Michelle'. asserted
I → ask → Michelle
She added: 'All the time she'll be throwing out threats 'I'm going to make everyone think you're a paedo'.' asserted
you → add → threats
The 44-year-old said the effect of the threats were 'horrendous'. asserted
effect → say → threats
Ms Pentecost told the jury on Friday: 'If things were OK in her life and there was no drama, we'd have a happy life.' But she added that if Ms Price was not happy, 'we would get the brunt of it'. asserted
we → tell → it
She referred to a 'pornographic Christmas card' which was sent to her mother's address with explicit pictures of Hayler on it and signed 'Happy Christmas from a friend or something like that,' she said. asserted
she → refer → that
Asked if this was in connection with Ms Price, she replied: 'I never had issues before that.' asserted
I → ask → that
On Friday, Hayler also said he believed Ms Price and the complainant came together for a meeting and the alleged victim was 'acting' in her police interview. asserted
victim → say → interview
Hayler said in his evidence on Thursday he thought Price was 'coaching' the teenage girl after discovering messages she sent to her. asserted
she → say → her
Katie Price is pictured arriving at Lewes Crown Court, East Sussex, on October 14 Hayler accessed her phone by using her fingerprint while she was 'in bed hungover or on drugs,' he told jurors on Friday. asserted
he → picture → Friday
The messages sent between Ms Price and the girl include the media personality saying she had heard Hayler and the girl kissed and he had 'tried it on' with her, adding: 'I'm only asking as this is a serious allegation.' asserted
this → send → her
The teenager replied that it was 'just a flirt thing' and 'nothing happened'. asserted
nothing → reply → ?
In the conversation, Ms Price went on to ask if Hayler ever said he liked or fancied her, to which the girl replied: 'Yes but I took it as a joke.' asserted
I → go → joke
Mr Richter accused the defendant of only producing the messages now because 'you're desperate'. asserted
you → accuse → messages
Hayler replied: 'Not desperate, I found them.' asserted
I → reply → them
The prosecutor said: 'You never revealed them before because they don't help you, actually. ' asserted
they → say → you
They show (the complainant) admitting for the very first time sexual things happened between the two of you.' asserted
things → show → you
But Hayler said the messages do help him, and that he never flirted with the girl. asserted
he → say → girl
Mr Richter also put to Hayler that seeing the allegation and the complainant 'partly accepting' this 'must have been horrific for you'. asserted
complainant → put → you
Hayler replied: 'I just didn't think anything of it.' asserted
I → reply → it
The former couple at the UK premiere for the film Fifty Shades Darker in London in 2017 Pressed on that he thought enough about it to take a picture of it, Hayler added: 'Yeah, of course.' asserted
Hayler → press → course
The jury was shown a video recording of a police interview the woman gave in December 2021, where she described being raped by Mr Hayler. asserted
she → show → Hayler
…and 55 more, not listed.
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