A Victoria provincial court judge says "unacceptable" delays in B.C.'s court system forced the staying of a criminal charge against a man accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl.

In a scathing ruling, Judge Mayland McKimm found that factors including problems finding time in a semi-retired judge's schedule pushed the accused's trial beyond an 18-month limit set by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The decis…