Teenager, 17, denies 16 sex offences including rape against eight children at a nursery for under-fives
- Boy denies sexual offences against children at nursery in Torquay, Devon
- He is accused of raping one child and sexually touching seven others
- Boy has also denied two counts of historic rape not linked to the nursery
- Two-week trial set for September 21 and he has been remanded on bail
A 17-year-old boy today denied 16 sexual offences against children at a nursery.
The teenager is accused of raping one child and sexually touching seven others at the Jack and Jill Childcare nursery in Torquay, Devon.
The boy, who was arrested last November and cannot be named for legal reasons, has also denied two counts of historic rape not linked to the nursery.
Parents were given the news that the site in Torquay is closing in an email from the nursery
At Exeter Crown Court today, the boy appeared via videolink and pleaded not guilty to three rape charges and 13 sexual assault charges.
A two-week trial has been set for September 21 and he was remanded on bail.
Devon and Cornwall Police have been investigating alongside Torbay Council, Ofsted and the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group.
Jack and Jill Childcare was a privately-owned family run business which could care for up to 52 children aged 'from birth to five years'. It is no longer operating.
The business in Devon stopped trading last November but has now decided to close for good
It stopped trading in November last year and confirmed in January it had taken the decision to close for good. The business had been operating for 15 years.
A police spokesman said: 'Any alleged victim of a sexual crime is automatically granted anonymity for life; regardless of age and the outcome of any subequent criminal trial.
'Any suspect under the age of 18 is also by law not allowed to be identified.
'These rules are not solely for media organisations to adhere to, they also apply to members of the public and includes information posted via social media.'
No comments: