A MAN has been cleared by a jury on charges of serious sexual assault on a teenage boy.

James Littler, 61, denied the assaults and said that the youth had made up the allegations against him.

After a three-day trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Essex, Mr Littler was cleared on a total of eight charges by a jury of six men and six women. Their verdicts were unanimous.

The prosecution had alleged Mr Littler, from Horsforth, Leeds, carried out a series of assaults on the 13-year-old boy after getting to know him through his mother.

At the time, she and Mr Littler were doing voluntary work at Newcastle Cown Court.

The trial heard how the teenager used to visit Mr Littler's flat in Newcastle and would sometimes stay overnight.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed Mr Littler assaulted him between 15 and 20 times before the accused moved to Leeds.

At about the same time, the youth, now aged 15, moved to Clacton, Essex, where he made the allegations against Mr Littler, the court heard.

Mr Littler denied two indecent assaults and six serious sexual offences against the teenager between January 1997 and January 1999.

He said there had been no improper behaviour between him and the boy.

He admitted they had sometimes slept in the same bed when the teenager visited, but no sexual assaults had taken place The teenager was lying, he said.