WORCESTER— A former Worcester Polytechnic Institute student charged with raping another student in 2012 has been found not guilty.

A Worcester Superior Court jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about three hours Thursday before finding Gregory R. Gardner Jr. not guilty on charges of rape and unnatural rape.

Mr. Gardner, 24, of East Greenwich, R.I., was alleged to have raped an 18-year-old female student at WPI on Feb. 19, 2012, in the parking lot of Bancroft Tower. The two met at a fraternity party and drove together to the parking lot, according to police.

Mr. Gardner was ordered to stay away from the WPI campus after being charged and arraigned in Central District Court. He was later indicted, moving the case to Worcester Superior Court.

In a statement of facts filed in the district court, police said Mr. Gardner admitted under questioning that the woman "was telling him to stop and saying no during the sexual encounter."

"Greg thought that this victim was really enjoying the sex even though she was telling him to stop," police wrote.

In his closing argument in the case, Mr. Gardner's lawyer, James J. Gribouski, told the jury the evidence showed Mr. Gardner and the woman engaged in consensual sex.

"The government wants you to believe that she's not consenting," Mr. Gribouski said.

Assistant District Attorney Alexei C. Garick said the evidence showed the alleged victim was forced to engage in sex with Mr. Gardner against her will.

"He literally was not taking no for an answer," Mr. Garick told the jurors in his final summation.

Contact Gary V. Murray at gmurray@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @GaryMurrayTG