Freeman speaks out over rape case

Ben Freeman said he has had a lot of support from the public

Former Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman has spoken of his relief at being cleared of raping a 16-year-old, but admits he made "bad choices".

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, he said: "I'm not particularly angry at the girl and her family. I don't feel any kind of need for retribution.

"I made a lot of bad choices that put myself in a situation where someone could say that about me."

Freeman, 28, hopes to be able to return to acting now the case is over.

'Good news'

"My mission for the last two years was to clear my name," he said.

"Now that's over and I really can look forward. I would obviously really like to get back to work. Whatever work that is.

"I haven't really spoken to anyone at Emmerdale and I don't know if they would even consider taking me back, but I would think about it if they wanted to have a talk."

Freeman, who played Scott Windsor in the soap, said he "completely understood" why he was taken off screen after the allegations were first made.

An Emmerdale spokesperson said: "This is good news for Ben so he can now put this behind him.

The important thing is I didn't do anything illegal, but it was silly. Ben Freeman

"There is nothing in place at the moment between Ben and his agent with our producer. But now that this situation is over we would be happy to meet with him on his return to the UK. "

The actor, who has always denied the charge, admitted he did have sex with the girl from Cheshire when they met on holiday in Barbados, but she did not resist his advances.

"The important thing is I didn't do anything illegal, but it was silly," he said.

He said the couple were caught having sex by a man who was also on holiday, who sold photographs of them to a newspaper.

'No bad feeling'

Freeman believes the girl made the story up because of her age.

"Whatever made that decision, I think it was tough to then undo. And I think things happened so quickly I think there was a kind of snowball effect.

"I think someone who is young and possibly quite naive was unable to get out of the situation that she had put herself in," he said.

The star, who spent all his money on legal costs, said the support from members of the public has been great.

"I've not heard an awful lot of bad feeling," he added.