The 81-yr-old singer, who has never been arrested or convicted and denies the allegations, was publicly named on charges against him after a police raid on his home in 2014 that was widely publicised.
According to Sky, Cliff said being falsely accused could “completely destroy you” and said that he urged people to support the campaign to change the law so that suspects remain anonymous if they are not charged.
Speaking to the House of Lords on Wednesday, he called the internet “a disaster area for most people at the moment” and said his name will be “on the dark web forever” “as the man accused of the dastardly deed”.
He said he sometimes woke up with a racing heart and feared he was dying of a heart attack.
“I can’t express it strongly enough to know what it’s like to be an innocent man and also know that the person that accused you has anonymity in perpetuity,” he said.
“I’m past that terrible time but will I ever get over it? The answer is no.”
Sir Cliff won his privacy suit against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014 following allegations of child sexual abuse.
In June 2016, prosecutors announced that he would not be charged.
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