Rolf Harris pleads not guilty over sexual assaults on young girls

TV entertainer, musician and royal artist Rolf Harris has pleaded not guilty over sexual assaults said to have spanned nearly two decades.

11:01 15 January 2014

Rolf Harris has appeared in court where he pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of sexual assaults on young girls. 

 

The charges, which date back to the late 1960s include seven alleged indecent assaults against the same teenager when she was aged 15 and 19. 

 

These include allegations that the now 83 year old performed oral sex or touched the breasts, leg, buttocks, and vagina of the girls. 

 

As individual charges were read to him, Harrisy pleaded not guilt in a clear voice. 

 

He arrived at Southwark Crown Court, where another high-profile BBC star, Dave Lee Travis, was also appearing for unrelated allegation, wheeling his wife Alwen in a wheelchair. Members of family including his daughter Bindi and supporters were in the public gallery. 

 

Harris is accused of six offences of indecent assaults against the same girl. He also faces another three indecent assault charges against a second girl aged 14 in 1986. 

 

In addition, he is accused of indecently assaulting a girl aged seven or eight in 1968-9 and one aged 14 in 1975-76. Harris is yet to be arraigned on four other counts of making indecent images.