Cape Town film producer Derek Serra, who was arrested during a Child Protection Unit raid on his Dorp Street studio, has been acquitted of child pornography charges in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court.
Serra, 39, was arrested last March and charged with the possession of pornographic material depicting children.
Police were investigating allegations that Serra had downloaded child porn from the Internet. But the State could not prove that Serra was responsible for the images found in his computer and he was acquitted.
Serra told the Cape Argus that he was the victim of a disgruntled employee who had made allegations against him, and of "hasty" police who had arrested and charged him without investigating properly.
At the time of his arrest Serra was working on a television documentary about child rape after an earlier production, Cape of Rape, which he said was funded by the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, dealt with adult rape.
Serra said the charges had seriously damaged his credibility and the image of his casting and modelling agency. He originally made his name in fashion photography.