A JURY has acquitted a man alleged to have had regular sex sessions with an under-age boy in Bolton.

John Shepperd, now 44, insisted he had never met his accuser, who claimed they had a relationship after meeting online.

Shepperd, then in his 30s, accepted he had been involved in chat-room conversations with a younger man, who he believed to be 18, Preston Crown Court heard.

Later he insisted to police he had been approached, out of the blue, some time afterwards by someone demanding money not to reveal an alleged sexual relationship between them.

Shepperd, of Roe Avenue, Worsley, said he was "shocked" at the time but had not done anything about the claimed contact.

His accuser claimed the pair had sex in his car on the Asda car park at Burden on several occasions, in return for money or vodka.

Shepperd would eventually be charged with four offences of sexual activity with a child aged 13, 14 or 15, on dates between June 2005 and June 2008, for which he was found not guilty after a five-day trial.