A man convicted of raping his girlfriend's 7-year-old daughter was released from prison Wednesday after his conviction was overturned by an appellate court.

Clay Bennett served about three years in an upstate prison on charges he raped and sodomized the girl. He was sentenced to 20 years, but an appeals court recently reversed a Suffolk judge?s conviction, stating the prosecution did not prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bennett?s lawyer agrees, saying every time the alleged victim or her mother testified, they changed their stories.

Now free, Bennett maintains his innocence and says the accusations were all about money. He says at the time of the allegations, he had just received a cash reward from a workers? comp accident.

The Suffolk County District Attorney?s Office says it is not sure if it will appeal the court?s decision. Bennett says he will be staying with relatives in Patchogue.