FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented closing arguments in the trial of a former Coral Springs Middle School custodian and assistant coach accused of sexually abusing students. Now it’s up to a jury to decide his fate.

Robert Grant has been accused of performing oral sex on a 15-year-old boy inside the school’s gym in October 2017.

Speaking at the Broward County Courthouse, Wednesday afternoon, Prosecutor Kerrie Harper said the defendant groomed the teen and then took advantage of his trust.

“This is about manipulation and abuse. This man took advantage of a young boy’s trust and dependence on him,” she said.

The teen, now 17, said Grant became his mentor and trusted him, then alleged that he began groping him. He said Grant groped him at least a dozen times before the oral sex took place.

Other teens came forward and testified that Grant had inflicted the same sexual abuse onto them.

Grant took the stand in his own defense Tuesday denying he molested any of the students.

“Did you molest any of these kids?” an attorney asked.

“I did not,” Grant said.

He also denied the claim that he performed oral sex on the student initially in question.

“Did you ever put your mouth on his penis?” an attorney asked.

“I did not,” Grant said.

“Why is he saying that you did?” an attorney asked

“I have no idea,” Grant replied as he shook his head.

Grant’s attorney, Jim Lewis, said his client never admitted to the claims, even after a controlled phone call with the alleged victim, police and the defendant.

“Folks, there are just too many red flags in this case that tell you he’s not guilty, that he didn’t do it,” Lewis said. “These kinds of cases are scary, based on a witness where there is no other corroborating evidence: no DNA, no fingerprints, no other witnesses.”

Lewis said that Grant has never been in trouble before and never admitted to molesting students, while the prosecutors said he had oral sex with a 15-year-old student.

“The mouth of his mentor is on his penis four separate times in that gym on Oct. 14, 2017,” Harper said.

But Lewis asked why Grant would take the teen to the school knowing there were surveillance cameras there.

“There just isn’t enough evidence, nowhere close, to subject him to say that you’re guilty beyond the exclusion of a reasonable doubt for having oral sex with that teenager,” Lewis said. “You have to have an abiding conviction of guilt before you can vote to take away his life.”

The jurors face a difficult decision on a verdict because there is not enough physical evidence of Grant’s crime, and no DNA evidence was taken in this case.

The jurors listened to instructions from the judge and began deliberating the case Wednesday.

After regrouping Thursday morning, the jurors went back to the judge twice with a series of questions.

The jury asked the judge for a read back, where the entire testimony of the victim will be read back to them.

The read back process could take several hours.

According to the jury, they have come to a unanimous decision on charges five through 11. The judge did not disclose what that decision was.

The more serious charges, counts one through four, have not been granted a unanimous decision as yet.

The jury was sent back to the jury room to continue deliberating until a decision is made.

Grant turned down a plea deal that would have given him a 15-year sentence. If he is found guilty on at least one of the four serious charges, he may receive a life sentence.

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