UK coach Bennell facing eight more child abuse charges

London (AFP) – Former football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight fresh counts of non-recent child sexual abuse, England’s Crown Prosecution Service announced Tuesday. 

The 63-year-old is due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court in northwest England via video-link on March 13 to face the charges, which relate to two victims and are alleged to have taken place between 1980 and 1987.

“Today, 7 March, former professional football coach Barry Bennell, 63, was informed that he has been charged with eight counts of non-recent child sexual abuse, following an investigation by Cheshire Police,” a CPS spokesman said Tuesday.

Bennell has been charged with five counts of buggery with a boy aged under 16, two counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14 and one count of indecent assault on a boy aged under 16.

The former Crewe Alexandra coach had previously been charged with seven counts of indecent assault on a boy and one count of attempted buggery.

Those offences were alleged to have taken place between 1981 and 1986, when the victim was under the age of 16.

Bennell pleaded not guilty to those charges at Chester Crown Court in January and was remanded in custody until a further hearing on March 20.