Boy, 15, charged with 22 sexual offences against eight girls aged as young as ten
The teenager was told his case would be sent to the Crown Court
A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with multiple sexual offences against eight girls including one as young as ten.
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The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, is accused of committing rape and sexual assault between 2023 and 2025.
He was charged with 22 offences in total and appeared at Wellingborough Youth Court for the first time on Tuesday.
The youth was not asked to enter the dock and took a seat at the back of the courtroom, and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address, and to ask the judge what the Youth Justice Service was.
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He has been charged with 12 counts of sexually assaulting a female, three counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, and one count of raping a girl under 13.
He is also accused of one count of assaulting a female aged 13 and over by penetration with a part of the body or thing, one count of raping a girl aged 13-15, and two counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child.
He faces a further charge of possessing a prohibited image of a child and another of possessing an extreme pornographic image or images.
District Judge Amar Mehta told him: "Your case is too serious to be tried in this court therefore it’s going to be tried at the crown court at Northampton.
"I'm going to send your case to Northampton Crown Court for another hearing similar to this one."
The teenager was told to appear at that court on August 18 and was granted conditional bail with conditions.