Jury Deliberations Begin in Trial of Monrovia Man Accused of School Rape

Jury deliberations began Thursday afternoon and will continue Friday in the trial of the Monrovia man accused of sexually abusing his students while teaching at a Duarte elementary school.

Wade Bughman is charged with 9 total sexual abuse counts including rape, lewd conduct with a child, digital penetration of a minor and forced oral copulation for allegedly assaulting five different students at Beardslee Elementary School from 1997 to 2010.

Bughman's attorney insists the girls accusing Bughman fabricated their stories, while prosecutors say Bughman is a "practiced manipulator" who chose his victims because they'd be unlikely to report the abuse.

A jury of six men and six women will decide Bughman's fate following a trial that lasted more than a month.