An Iowa politician who was accused of abusing his wife by having sex with her when she no longer had the capacity to consent because of her dementia has been cleared. Henry Rayhons, 78, was accused of having sex with his wife Donna Lou Rayhons at her nursing home - despite being told her dementia and Alzheimers meant she no longer had the capacity to decide for herself. Mr Rayhons, who served 18 years as a Republican member of the Iowa House, had argued that on the night in question he and his wife had been affectionate but had not had any sexual contact. Henry Rayhons is pictured tearfully hugging his daughter Sara Abbas after he was found not guilty of sexually assaulting his dementia suffering wife, following a trial in Hancock County . Jurors acquitted the lawmaker following a trial after the court heard that medical tests could not conclusively prove Mrs Rayhons had recently had sex and that the allegations were made by another patient in a bed nearby, who was unsure whether they had had intercourse or not. The farmer was emotional as the not guilty verdict was read out at the Hancock County courtroom. Had he been found guilty he could have faced up to ten years in prison. Speaking after the verdict he tearfully said 'the truth finally came out.' 'Donna's love for me never changed from the day that we got married to the day she passed away,' he said after the verdict. 'It was always the same. She knew me all the time. She just was a lady who wanted to be loved.' The case highlighted issues around consent when one person in a couple is diagnosed with dementia. Defense attorney argued a guilty verdict could create fear of any contact between couples while prosecutors said finding him not guilty could put future dementia patients at risk. Mr and Mrs Rayhons married seven years ago, both being widowed from their previous marriage. Mr Rayhons had always insisted he and his wife had kissed on the night in question but they had not had sex . The couple had met while singing in the church choir and Mr Rayhons had gone on to learn his wife's hobby of beekeeping while Mrs Rayhons had accompanied her husband to the statehouse. After the allegations were filed against him last August Mr Rayhons decided not to run to serve a tenth term in the Iowa House of Representatives. The court heard that Mrs Rayhons was moved to a nursing home in Garner in March last year, following instructions from her daughters from a previous marriage. The clashes over her care built until a meeting in May during which Henry Rayhons was informed of his wife's inability to consent. According to court documents, Henry Rayhons entered his wife's room about a week later on May 23. He is alleged to have pulled the curtains around her bed and a roommate alluded to the couple having sex behind a curtain, but that she never explicitly told them they were having sex. Testimony from the roommate revealed that she was unsure whether the noises she heard that day were sexual in nature, but that they made her uncomfortable. The couple were married seven years after meeting at a church choir and had both been widowed previously . Mrs Rayhons was put into a care home by her daughters in March last year because she had dementia . An exam done on Donna Rayhons that night found no sign of injury. Also, lab tests done on swabs from that exam found no conclusive evidence she'd recently had sex . Investigators found semen stains on sheets and a quilt in his wife's room, but were unable to say how long they had been there. Security-camera footage from the night of the alleged incident was also aired in court, showing Henry Rayhons going into his wife's room, staying there for about half an hour and depositing something into a laundry cart on his way out. Rayhons' attorney said his client frequently dropped his wife's laundry into the bin, but prosecutors said he was trying to discard evidence. Not long after Mr Rayhons visited his wife, one of her adult daughters went to court and won temporary guardianship. Charges against him were filed at a later date. Mrs Rayhons died in August last year and her husband was arrested shortly after her funeral, the New York Times reported. Mr Rayhons, a Republican lawmaker, was arrested over the claims in August shortly after his wife's funeral . Mr Rayhons took to the stand to defend himself, explaining that he had not had sex with his wife on the night in question but they had kissed, held hands and prayed together. The case had widespread implications for the issue of consent between couples where one becomes ill in old age. Rayhons' defense attorney argued that a guilty verdict could have created fear that any interaction between spouses could be interpreted as sexual abuse. The not guilty verdict was met with cheers and tears when it was read out, after 13 hours of deliberations. Elizabeth Barnhill, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said the case was a reminder of the need to be clear about consent in care homes. She told the Des Moines Register: 'One thing this very sad case makes clear is that care facilities, healthcare providers, families and patients need to have clear policies and guidelines to protect vulnerable patients and provide patients sexual ... autonomy when appropriate. 'I have a great deal of empathy for both families in this situation, and feel all would have been better served had such policies been in place.'
Henry Rayhons was arrested for sexually assaulting his wife in August.
The 78-year-old politician was accused of having sex with her in a care home when she had dementia and didn't have mental capacity to consent.
Mr Rayhons always claimed they kissed and prayed but did not have sex.
Found not guilty by a jury and he said tearfully 'the truth finally came out'