An Irish celebrity has been found not guilty of the defilement of a child.

The man, who is now in his 40s, had denied the allegations.

The celebrity took deep breaths as the 12 jurors filed out just after 2pm this afternoon to deliver their verdict.

He then closed his eyes as not guilty was read out on all three charges.

He left the courtroom and became emotional as he hugged his parents - who have been there every day of the trial.

The celebrity, who can’t be named because of the nature of the charges and now his acquittal, had been accused of three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a 16-year-old girl in Dublin in 2010.

The complainant who is now in her 20s said the celebrity knew she was 16 and asked her to keep a secret.

He said the allegations never happened.

The jurors reached their verdict of not guilty after five hours and 55 minutes of deliberations.