A 15-year-old schoolboy is set to stand trial accused of 18 sex attacks on eight different girls, including two counts of rape against two alleged victims, one of whom is said to have been aged 10.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, faces two counts of rape, 15 sexual assaults, and one assault by penetration towards his alleged victims, who were all aged between 10 and 15 at the time.
The boy also faces four other counts, including two separate counts of making indecent photographs of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child, and possessing an extreme pornographic image. It is claimed all of the alleged offences took place between June 2023 and January 2025, when the defendant was aged between 12 and 14.
Court Appearance and Adjournment
He appeared at Northampton Crown Court where he had been expected to give pleas to all 22 charges. However, Judge Adrienne Lucking KC began the hearing by ruling that he would not be asked to do so, as she said he had not had enough time to consult with his new barrister.
The boy, wearing a black hoodie and black jeans, was not asked to enter the dock and instead took a seat at the back of the court, accompanied by his mother. In contrast to usual Crown Court etiquette, the judge referred to him by his first name throughout the 15-minute hearing and said he will be given an intermediary to help him understand what is happening during the next hearing and his proposed trial.
He spoke only to confirm his name, telling the judge "Yes, your honour". Throughout the hearing he stared straight ahead at the judge with his hands on top of each other, before later resting his chin on one hand.
Next Hearing and Trial Details
He is now due to give his pleas at the same court on September 25. The judge told him his mum will again be allowed to sit with him during that hearing. She also ruled that there will be pre-recorded cross-examination of all the witnesses, which she added "will hopefully be done this year".
No details of the charges were said at today's hearing, but the court indictment listed all of his alleged offences, including the rape of a 10-year-old girl in April 2024. The defendant is also accused of rape against another girl in October 2024.
Moreover, he is accused of three sexual assaults against a third girl, who was aged just 12 at the time, between June 2023 and September 2023. A fourth alleged victim has accused him of committing two sexual assaults against her between June 2024 and September 2024.
Allegations and Bail Conditions
A fifth girl claims he committed two sexual assaults against her in October 2024. A sixth has accused him of committing three sexual assaults and assault by penetration against her between December 2024 and January 2025.
A seventh alleged victim claims he committed four sexual assaults against her, between December 2024 and January 2025. An eighth girl has accused him of committing sexual assault against her between April 2024 and May 2024.
The boy previously appeared at Wellingborough Youth Court last month, where a judge told him his alleged offences were too serious to be dealt with under their jurisdiction. He has been granted conditional bail instructing him not to contact the alleged victims, to have no unsupervised contact with females under 16, and to engage with the Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service.
