A Monaghan man has been cleared by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping a girl over two years ago. The 43-year-old man had denied he raped her in November 2003 in Co Monaghan.
The jury returned its not-guilty verdict following just over two hours of deliberation.
Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins discharged the accused from the court and thanked the jury for its care and attention to the case.
"These cases are always extremely difficult because of their nature, " he told the nine men and three women, whom he exempted from further jury service for seven years.
Evidence had been given that the girl had a Bebo internet site with explicit sexual language on it.
The girl who gave her evidence via video-link, was 10 years old when she alleged she was anally raped by the accused man, who she said later threatened her.
She denied a suggestion in cross-examination by Anthony Sammon SC, defending, that her allegations were "made up, fabricated, a tissue of lies".
She said she had been to see a counsellor several times since she made the allegations.