British police have charged iconic Australian entertainer Rolf Harris with nine counts of indecent assault, and four counts of making indecent images of a child.
Six charges of indecent assault date back to 1980 and 1981, and relate to a girl aged between 15 and 16, while the other three indecent assault charges relate to the alleged assault of a girl aged 14 in 1986. The four charges of making indecent images of a child relate to incidents alleged to have occurred between March and July of last year.
Harris was arrested and bailed in March this year (after being first questioned in November 2012) as part of a British investigation into alleged sex offenders known as Operation Yewtree. The allegations that materialized against Harris came off the back
of a similar, though unconnected, case involving the late English DJ Jimmy Savile receiving over 80 accusations of historic sexual abuse.
Alison Saunders from the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement: “Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Harris to be charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four of making indecent images of a child.” Harris is due to face Westminster Magistrates Court on September 23.
Neither Harris nor his representatives have made any public comment in relation to the charges.
Via abc.net.au
