New York, Feb 17 : Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps will not face any charges in pot-smoking scandal, according to South Carolina sheriff Leon Lott.

Lett confirmed that they won't prosecute the 23-year-old star, as he defended the zealousness of his probe into pot-smoking at a college party last year.

The eight times Olympic gold medallist came under fire after he was snapped smoking marijuana pipe at a party in University of South Carolina.

Lott said that they had no choice but to launch a probe after the photos surfaced.

"These were drug violations. You had to do something," The New York Daily News quoted Lott as saying.

"If I had ignored it, people on the other side would have asked why I had ignored it," he added.

Lott said he won''t prosecute Phelps because, while the Olympian never disputed the photo was of him smoking a water pipe, he also never specifically admitted it.

"We had a photo, and him saying he was sorry for inappropriate behaviour. That behaviour could have been going to a party. He never said, ''I smoked marijuana,''" he added.

Meanwhile, Phelps said he was relieved, had learned his lesson and was ready to "dive back into the pool." (ANI)