A Douglas County judge has declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the indecent liberties case of an appliance repairman.

Prosecutors accuse the 59-year-old Baldwin City man, who has worked for the Lawrence repair company for 32 years, of exposing himself to a 4-year-old girl when he was on a service call in Lawrence.

During the trial this week, the defendant denied wrongdoing and said he had only tickled the girl’s foot as she sat on a couch inside her home. The child’s mother was in another part of the house while the defendant fixed the family’s dryer.

After deliberating for more than five hours Thursday, jurors said they were unable to reach a verdict.

The man faces one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in connection with the January 2008 incident.

District Judge Peggy Kittel scheduled a hearing for June 2, when she could set a second trial date. Defense attorney John Ambrosio told Kittel he intended to review the transcript of the trial.

The defendant remains free on $25,000 bond.

The Journal-World generally does not identify sex-crime defendants unless they have been convicted.