“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.”

Actor James Franco found himself in deep manure after he tried to hook up with a 17-year old Scottish girl on Instagram.

Lucy Cloude, who was visiting New York, was outside of the Longacre Theatre, where Franco is performing Of Mice and Men, when she took a selfie of herself with the 35-year old in the background. He supposedly asked her to tag him and later the two began to flirt via the social networking site.

Franco asked how long the tourist would be in New York, who she was with, and if she had a boyfriend. Even after she told him she was 17, he allegedly continued the conversation, asking for her phone number.

The conversation continued via text message with Franco asking if he could see her and if he should “rent a room.” When she asked for verification that it was him, he sent two selfies to her phone, one with her name written on a piece of paper, as requested.

On Franco’s Instagram account, he posted a picture of himself with the caption “Why are you thirsty for underage ones.”

The story was leaked on Wednesday and since then Franco has deleted the Instagram photo and responded via Twitter.

I'M NOT! I HOPE PARENTS KEEP THEIR TEENS AWAY FROM ME. Thank you http://t.co/I1d4n3yVe0

— James Franco (@JamesFrancoTV) April 2, 2014

There are questions as to whether this was a poor-thought-out publicity stunt to promote Franco’s new movie, Palo Alto, in which he plays a soccer coach who seduces his 14-year old babysitter.

Palo Alto also stars Val Kilmer, Christian Madsen (Divergent), Chris Messina (The Newsroom), and Emma Roberts (American Horror Story). The film will be shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival on May 3, 2014.

Image via Instagram