Former Oldham footballer Jack Tuohy cleared of grooming girl, 14

Jack Tuohy started at Oldham Athletic at the age of 13 the court heard

A League One footballer has been cleared of sexually taking advantage of a 14-year-old girl.

Former Oldham Athletic player Jack Tuohy, 20, said he believed the girl was aged 16 and denied her claim that she told him her real age.

A jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court took an hour to find the midfielder not guilty.

Mr Tuohy, of Shaw in Oldham, had been accused of five sexual offences against a child.

He was cleared of two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of meeting with a child following sexual grooming.

Prosecutors had claimed he groomed the girl after meeting her at a schools tournament hosted by Oldham Athletic in 2015.

A statement released on behalf of Mr Tuohy's family after the verdicts, said: "[Jack's] life has been on hold for 18 months during which time he has been under the most severe stress.

"The family would now ask that they be left alone so that Jack can resume his very promising career."