Four journalists from Sun acquitted of bribery charges

LONDON (AP) — A jury has acquitted four senior journalists at the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun of bribing officials for tips, including information about Prince William and his brother Harry at Sandhurst military academy.

Chief reporter John Kay, royal correspondent Duncan Larcombe, deputy editor Geoff Webster and executive editor Fergus Shanahan were found not guilty Friday at London’s Central Criminal Court.

They argued the stories were in the public interest.

One of their main sources — Ministry of Defense official Bettina Jordan-Barber — has admitted misconduct in a public office. Another — ex-Sandhurst instructor John Hardy — was cleared.

The charges stemmed from police investigations sparked by revelations of illegal phone hacking at Murdoch’s now-defunct News of the World.

Scores of journalists have been arrested, though only a handful have been convicted of wrongdoing.