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| Coronation Street's Bill Roache pleads not guilty to sex assaults on five girls | Coronation Street's Bill Roache pleads not guilty to sex assaults on five girls |
| (17 days later) | |
| Coronation Street star William Roache has pleaded not guilty to committing sexual offences against five girls. The 81-year-old actor formally denied the charges in a hearing at Preston crown court. | Coronation Street star William Roache has pleaded not guilty to committing sexual offences against five girls. The 81-year-old actor formally denied the charges in a hearing at Preston crown court. |
| The veteran soap star was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in May and charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in east Lancashire in 1967. | The veteran soap star was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in May and charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in east Lancashire in 1967. |
| He was later additionally charged with five indecent assaults involving four girls aged between 11 or 12 and 16, allegedly committed in the Manchester area between 1965 and 1968. | He was later additionally charged with five indecent assaults involving four girls aged between 11 or 12 and 16, allegedly committed in the Manchester area between 1965 and 1968. |
| Roache's trial will begin at the court on 14 January and is scheduled to last four weeks. He remains on bail with various conditions including residence, no direct unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and not to approach named witnesses. | Roache's trial will begin at the court on 14 January and is scheduled to last four weeks. He remains on bail with various conditions including residence, no direct unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and not to approach named witnesses. |
| When he was charged, Roache said he was "astounded and deeply horrified" by the accusations and vowed to "strenuously deny" them. | When he was charged, Roache said he was "astounded and deeply horrified" by the accusations and vowed to "strenuously deny" them. |
| The world's longest-serving soap actor, he has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap since its launch but will not be appearing in the programme until legal proceedings are concluded. | The world's longest-serving soap actor, he has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap since its launch but will not be appearing in the programme until legal proceedings are concluded. |
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