Singer believed he would be acquitted

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An Afrikaans singer living in New Zealand, Jurie Els, has been acquitted of all charges of sexually molesting his former protege, ex-child star Robbie Klay, in South Africa.

A jubilant Jurie Els said he knew he would be acquitted if he just told the truth.

Acting judge Chris Eksteen in Pretoria High Court found Els not guilty of two charges of indecently assaulting and a charge of soliciting Klay to commit indecent acts while he was a minor.

The judge said that although there was "a suspicion" against Els, it was not enough to convict him.

He said Els did not impress the court and had portrayed Klay as a virtually imbecile while blowing his own trumpet.

Els was accused of molesting singer Klay between the ages of 11 and 16, when the boy was a child star.

Klay alleged that he had been sexually groomed by Els by means of watching pornography on the internet.

Els moved to Auckland with his wife former South African athlete Hestrie Cloete in 2007 and was doing jury duty in Auckland when he heard South Africa's director of public prosecutions had decided to prosecute him for the alleged molestation.

Els returned to South Africa to stand trial.

He testified that when he first met Klay when the boy was 11, he suspected that the child might have been sexually molested.

But he said the charges against him were "all lies".