A former Dragons' Den star broke down in tears yesterday as he was cleared of illegally having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
But married millionaire Doug Richard was left with his reputation in tatters after he admitted in evidence that he met 100 young women for 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sex.
Yesterday a jury found Richard, 57, not guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child, one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and another charge of paying for sexual services.
They found that he had 'reasonably believed' the 5ft-tall teenager - who weighed less than six stone - was in fact 17, that the sex was consensual and that the money he gave her was a 'gift'.
Richard became progressively more emotional as each not guilty count was read out, dabbing his eyes. Outside the courtroom he burst into tears and declined to comment on his acquittal.