VETERAN ENTERTAINER ROLF Harris has appeared in court in London this morning to face nine charges relating to indecent assault and four of making indecent images of children.
There was a large media presence outside the Old Baily as the 83-year-old arrived for the hearing, accompanied by his wife.
He confirmed his name and address to the judge before the case was referred to Southwark Crown Court, where he is due to appear on 7 October, according to BBC News.
Harris is charged with six counts of indecent assault relating to a girl aged between 15 and 16 for incidents dating from April 1980 to April 1981, and three relating to a girl aged 14 dating from April and June 1986.
He is further charged with four counts of making indecent images of children, on or before dates spanning between March and July 2012.
Harris is one of several older celebrities in Britain arrested under Operation Yewtree, the police probe into historical abuse set up in the wake of revelations that the late BBC star Jimmy Savile was a prolific sex offender.
The entertainer, who moved to England in 1952, has been a popular figure on British TV for decades. He painted an 80th birthday portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2005, took part in her diamond jubilee celebrations last year, and has been honoured by both Britain and Australia.
The charges against Harris are not connected to Savile, who police believe was one of Britain’s worst-ever sex offenders.
Additional reporting, AFP
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