A 44-year-old Bromsgrove man has been acquitted of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Stefan Haugk of Redditch Road, Stoke Heath, was acquitted after the Crown offered no evidence at Worcester Crown Court.
Prosecutor Paul Whitfield said the image was discovered during management of Haugk by police for previous offences.
But he said it was possible the image had appeared on a computer without being searched for, and there was "no realistic prospect" of a conviction.
Judge Michael Cullum ordered a not guilty verdict, and allowed the defendant his travel expenses to court.
Haugk, who denied the charge, had faced a trial by jury scheduled to begin on January 14.
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