Entertainer Rolf Harris has been found guilty of all 12 counts of indecent assault he was prosecuted on.
Four girls between the 1960s-1980s ranging in ages between 7-19 at the time, made claims of abuse against Rolf Harris who prosecutors say used his “status and position” to prey on girls.
Rolf Harris’ family who have maintained his innocence from the beginning watched wide-eyed as the jury delivered the unanimous guilty verdict after 37 hours and 45 minutes of deliberation.
The counts Rolf Harris was charged on are:
- Count 1: A woman claimed Rolf Harris touched her inappropriately in the late 1960s when she was seven or eight whilst at an autograph signing in Hampshire.
- Count two: Rolf Harris was accused of groping a teenage waitress’s bottom at a charity event in Cambridge in the 1970s
- Counts three to nine: A childhood friend of Rolf Harris’ daughter claimed Rolf Harris repeatedly indecently assaulted her between the ages of 13 and 19. Rolf Harris admitted a relationship with the woman but said it started after the age of consent.
- Counts 10 to 12:Australian, Tonya Lee, who waived her right to anonymity, claimed whilst on a theatre group trip to the UK when she was 15, Rolf Harris abused her three times in one day
Six other women told the court how Rolf Harris indecently assaulted them but due to lack of evidence Rolf Harris couldn’t be prosecuted on these charges. The Prosecution introduced these women as character reference saying it further illustrated his behavior and nature.
Director of national services at the NSPCC, Peter Watt said the children’s charity had received 28 calls about Rolf Harris, including 13 people claiming Rolf Harris had sexually abused them.
“All of this was passed to the police, helping them to build their case against Harris, whose actions over the years have seriously damaged the lives of his victims. His reckless and brazen sexual offenses, sometimes in public places, bizarrely within sight of people he knew, speaks volumes about just how untouchable he thought he was.”
Rolf Harris was first questioned in November 2012 in Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree investigation, which was set up after the sexual abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile and was arrested in March 2013.
Scotland Yard are now considering new allegations against Rolf Harris that will be looked into further if the claims meet the threshold for investigation. Rolf Harris will be sentenced on Friday following a medical report.