A Milford Haven businessman who set up a fake Facebook account has been cleared today (Wednesday) of a charge of inciting a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
James Robert Kershaw, aged 36, of Pill Priory, told a jury at Swansea crown court he thought he was swapping messages with a 17-year-old girl.
Kershaw had always denied the charge.
Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said the girl, a student in Gloucestershire, began swapping messages with a David Rogers, who turned out to be Kershaw.
She became suspicious and some of her friends also set up a fake Facebook page and made contact with "David Rogers."
The girl claimed that during telephone calls Kershaw told her he had a car and that he would like to massage her.
Mr Rouch accused Kershaw of "trawling" the internet in the hope of having sexual conversations with young girls.
Kershaw said that as well as running a landscape gardening business he was a director of Top Banana Entertainment, which laid on events for teenagers.
As part of that business he tried to make contact with young people who might be interested in attending an event.
He denied being told that the girl was only 14 years of age.
The court was told he became suspicious that he was being "messed" around and ceased any further contact.
Kershaw denied saying anything sexual during the telephone calls.
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