Man, 101, due in court to answer historic 'child sex' charges

A 101-year-old man thought to be the oldest defendant in British legal history will appear in court charged with a string of historical child sex offences.

Ralph Clarke, who was born in March 1915, is accused of 29 offences alleged to have been committed against three children between 1974 and 1983.

Prosecutors have charged him with 15 counts of indecent assault, two of inciting a girl to commit an act of gross indecency, 10 allegations of gross indecency and two of attempting to commit another sexual offence.

The centenarian appeared for a brief hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court last month when he was granted unconditional bail and was not required to enter any pleas.

Magistrates ordered Clarke, of Holly Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, to appear at the city's Crown Court on Monday for a plea hearing.