LIVINGSTON — A Livingston Parish jury on Tuesday acquitted a woman on simple rape and video voyeurism charges, finding that a recorded sexual encounter found during the yearslong investigation of a former sheriff’s deputy did not depict criminal activity.

Melanie Curtin had previously been convicted of first-degree rape and sentenced to life in prison. In her retrial, which opened last week, she faced up to 27 years in prison.

She had been accused of taking part in a 2014 assault at Perkins’ home. The woman who made the accusation testified she was so intoxicated she didn’t know what was going on, and state prosecutors say the woman was unable to give consent.

Simple rape carries a prison term of up to 25 years, while video voyeurism can be punished by up to 2 years behind bars.

Curtin was accused of assaulting the woman with Dennis Perkins, a former Livingston Parish deputy at the center of a juvenile sex-crimes investigation. Curtin was not accused of any offense involving children.

An appeals court had overturned Curtin’s initial sentence, saying the judge had allowed prejudicial material into the trial while also restricting Curtin’s defense. For the retrial, state prosecutors opted against a lesser charge than first-degree rape.