CRIMINAL charges have been dropped against a teenager in a landmark music piracy case.

Matthew Wyatt, 17, was charged with illegally distributing copyrighted material after sharing three albums and one single on the OiNK file sharing website.

Mr Wyatt, who was arrested by Cleveland Police, has had his case dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) just weeks before his trial was due to begin at Teesside Crown Court.

Earlier this year a man accused of running OiNK, one of the world’s largest music-sharing websites was acquitted of conspiracy to defraud.

Alan Ellis, 26, from Middlesbrough, was accused of making hundreds of thousands of pounds from the website, which he ran from his bedroom.

However, a jury at Teesside Crown Court unanimously cleared the software engineer of the single charge.

Mr Wyatt from Stamford, Lincolnshire, said the past two-and-ahalf years had been stressful and disruptive for his family and himself.

“I am delighted that the CPS has finally decided to end this misguided and disproportionate prosecution,”

he said. “I look forward to getting on with my undergraduate studies and my future now this burden has been lifted.”

David Cook, of Burrows Bussin Solicitors, who represented Mr Wyatt added: “It was clear throughout this case that Matthew Wyatt was the victim of a cynical attempt by the record industry to legitimise its heavy-handed tactics and dubious methods by using police resources and the public purse.

“Cleveland Police and the CPS allowed themselves to be manipulated throughout the investigation and were content to rubberstamp reports commissioned by private bodies rather than scrutinise the merits of the case.”

Clare Donaldson, CPS Cleveland District Crown Prosecutor, said the case against Mr Wyatt had been reviewed further following the acquittal in January of Alan Ellis, the owner of the OiNK site.

“After consultation with the police and prosecuting counsel the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that while there remained sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against Matthew Wyatt, it was no longer in the public interest to pursue the matter to trial,” she said.

“We have a duty to keep all cases under continual review and take into account any change in circumstances.”