Ipswich Crown Court. (Image: Archant)
A Suffolk man accused of paying a 16-year-old girl £100 to have sex with him a decade ago has been cleared by a jury.
Peter Keeble told police he had never had sex with the girl and couldn't "put a picture to her face", Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Keeble, 54, of Shelby Street, Lowestoft, denied paying a girl under 18 for sexual services in 2009 and was found not guilty by a jury after a short trial.
Christopher Paxton, prosecuting, told the court it was a criminal offence to pay someone under 18 for sex.
He had claimed that Keeble had initially tried to "chat-up" the alleged victim and had later asked her to have sex with him, before offering her £100 to do so.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here