Jakarta  - An Indonesian district court has acquitted a Muslim cleric of child sexual abuse charges for marrying a 12-year-old girl, media reports said Wednesday.

Central Java's Ungaran District Court on Tuesday ruled the indictment against Pujiono Cahyo Widianto invalid because it was unclear, inaccurate and incomplete.

After hearing the charges and the plea from the legal team of Pujiono, better known as Sheikh Puji, Chief Judge Hari Mulyanto said the "defendant is acquitted and should be released from detention," The Jakarta Post reported.

Prosecutors had charged the wealthy brassware entrepreneur and owner of a local Islamic boarding school of violating the Child Protection Law as well as the 1974 Marriage Law for marrying a minor, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Pujiono married Lutfiana Ulfa, an eighth-grade student, in August 2008. Women's groups and child protection activists condemned Pujiono's act and urged the police to take action against the cleric. Pujiono argued that the marriage was allowed by his religion.

Prosecutors insisted they would improve the indictments and refile them to the court. (IANS)