Forums Forums Local News Stuart Hall charged with rape

Broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault, Lancashire Police have said.

Mr Hall, 83, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was arrested on Tuesday after attending a police station by appointment.

The rape is alleged to have been committed in 1976 against a 22-year-old woman.

The indecent assaults are alleged to have taken place between 1967 and 1986 on 10 girls aged between nine and 16.

Mr Hall has been bailed to appear before magistrates in Preston on 7 February.

A Lancashire Police statement said: "Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service an 83-year-old man has this evening been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault."

Mr Hall pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault when he appeared at Preston Magistrates' Court earlier this month. The court referred these charges to Preston Crown Court.

The broadcaster is best known for his sports reporting on BBC Radio 5 live - as well as his work on the 1970s TV show It's A Knockout.

Mr Hall has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century and became an OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and charity.

BBC NEWS

LINK

Why do they wait nearly 30 years to come forward? Im not defending the alleged offences but its getting a bit fishy.

Are the British Isles gonna be renamed the Paedoph Isles soon?

Its ridiculous. How many more are there going to be?

No chance of any 'It's a Knockout' repeats now then.

I think the same too about why do they wait for 30 years? And I'm sorry but if it had been just plain old joe blogs down the street who'd (allegedly)committed rape then it would either have been forgotten about by now or dealt with at the time.
You've only got to read any autobiography of a famous person to realise how many groupies they have simply throwing themselves at the 'star' to get a bit of action. Now Stuart Hall might not have been a huge star but he had fame and fortune and no doubt there were many women who wanted a piece of him. It's all about money I'm afraid ...maybe not for the children under 18 of course, that's a different kettle of fish altogether but for the adult women who were involved, well I believe they're just looking to make a few quid out of it.
Personally I'd not want the shame of other folk knowing I'd had sex with him at all, I'd be keeping my trap shut on that one for sure!

Also, is there no statute of limitations on this type of allegation?

I think the media is whipping everyone up into a paedo frenzy. Davy Lee Travis has been lumped with paeds like Saville. Yes, he may have grabbed a boob in the past but the media are making him out to be a dangerous sex beast.

Its the celeb gossip culture and its flavour of the month to keep peoples minds off the real problems in the world.

Makes me sick.

looks like he can now bid his clean reputation a fond farewell.

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2012-12-04/wheres-fred/

Where's Fred? Literally!