POP singer PJ Proby apparently confessed that his ideal wife would be a girl as young as 12 in an interview with a national newspaper.

The 80-year-old, who lives in Worcestershire, reportedly told the Daily Mail that he has not been in a relationship for 22 years because he knows his preference for underage girls is illegal.

However, in a statement apparently issued by Proby yesterday, he said the article was not an accurate report of his comments.

Proby, from Twyford, near Evesham, married Marianne Adams when she was 16, Judy Howard when she was 17 and Dulcie Taylor, from Blackpool, when she was 21.

Proby reportedly told the Daily Mail of his preference for underage girls ahead of his farewell tour, which will see him perform at venues around the country.

According to quotes in the newspaper, the 80-year-old said: “I won’t marry a girl I can’t raise from the age of 12, 13 or 14. I like that they’re young and fresh-looking and don’t come with baggage – nobody’s messed with their heart and broken it.

“They’re still in school so I can have a hand in their education and make sure their grades are all right, make sure the way they think about religion is all right, and what is and isn’t proper.”

Born James Marcus Smith in Texas in the US, Proby has been a controversial figure for many yeas.

In 2012 he was cleared of benefit fraud after a trial at Worcester Crown Court. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had alleged that Proby, who denied all the charges, cheated the benefits system out of more than £47,000 after informing the authorities he had just £5 in his bank account.

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