Jack Charles East, aged 16, of Lopham Street, Burngreave, admitted two counts of robbery but denied having a fake gun strapped to his back when he stole handsets from the boy, 16, and the girl, then 14.

Sheffield Crown Court heard the teenagers were approached by East in Burngreave when he grabbed the boy by the shoulder.

Rachel Harrison, prosecuting, said East challenged the boy about comments made about his mother on the Bebo social networking website, pulling him into the stairwell of flats in Verdon Street.

East, who admitted shouting at the boy and threatening to beat him up, then demanded his mobile phone and that of his 14-year-old girlfriend.

It was alleged he told the girl she could have her phone back only if she performed a sex act upon him.

When she burst into tears and refused, he was alleged to have tried to get her friend to do it instead but she also refused.

East admitted he carried photographs of himself posing with firearms, gangster-style, on his mobile telephone and posted them on his social networking web page.

But he told the court he had not used a firearm during the robberies - and had got rid of a ball-bearing gun he'd bought in Cleethorpes on the same day as the incident.

Jurors took two hours and 20 minutes to clear him of carrying an imitation firearm with intent.

He will be sentenced for the two counts of robbery at a later date.

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