A man accused of paedophilia while on holiday in Skegness says that the allegations have “wrecked his life."
Ali Bronson, a kebab shop owner from Coventry, was the subject of a social media post - which was viewed more than 30,000 times before being removed - accusing him of taking photos of children.
The 26-year-old is “struggling to eat and sleep” in the wake of the incident and he has vowed never to visit Skegness again, according to Lincolnshire Live.
"It is affecting my life really badly," Mr Ali said. "I need to get back out there, I have to clear my name.
“There is no evidence – I could do the same, I could just go to the seaside and take a picture and ruin someone’s life."
When the post - a photo of him at the seaside - first went up on Facebook on Tuesday, Mr Ali was not sure if it was merely intended as a joke.
But as vitriolic abuse streamed in from online commentators, he soon realised the seriousness of the accusation.
Mr Ali contacted West Midlands police about the post - who have since removed it from social media.
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Ali said that he “hadn’t even been planning” to visit Skegness before the incident but he decided to visit the town as part of a family day out.
Mr Ali said his kebab shop is also struggling as a result of the accusation.
He told The Independent: “Since the incident took place, I’ve only really left the house at night.
“Even then, I’m looking left and right to see if anyone is photographing me.”
The incident has also prompted Mr Ali to plan a visit to his local GP, he said, in an attempt to manage the stress it has caused him.
Mr Ali told The Independent that he is also planning legal action against his accuser for the damage caused.
West Midlands Police confirmed that the incident has been reported by Mr Ali and it has been filed as 'racially aggravated malicious communications'.
