Former Radio One DJ Dave Lee Travis is charged with 12 sexual offences spanning 30 years
Charged with sexual offences: Dave Lee Travis arrives back at his home in Bedfordshire tonight
The 68-year-old, also known as David Patrick Griffin, is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1977 and 2007 and relate to nine suspected victims aged between 15 and 29.
The former BBC Radio One DJ was ordered to appear before a district judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next Friday, August 23.
According to his solicitor Martin Bale, Travis is 'disappointed and surprised' at the sex charges and denies wrongdoing. Travis later arrived home at 6.30pm tonight and made a statement.
Wearing a pinstripe blue blazer, white shirt and jeans, the radio star gave a tired smile and said: ‘To say the least I'm very disappointed the police and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) have decided to bring charges.
‘These allegations are not true and I think the only other thing I can add to that statement is that I'm very much looking forward to actually clearing my name on this.’
Travis dismissed queries over whether his wife was staying by his side as a ‘silly question’. He added: ‘We have had a stressful time, obviously.
‘It has been quite a long time while all this has been going on and you obviously go through a lot of stress and that's all I'm going to say. I'm looking forward to the day when there is no stress.’
Speaking: Travis was the fourth celebrity to be
arrested by detectives from Operation Yewtree, which was set up in the
aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal
‘A file of evidence was passed to the CPS on 31 July 2013. Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Griffin to be charged with 11 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.
‘These date from 1977 to 2007 and relate to nine complainants aged between 15 and 29 at the time of the alleged offending.
‘The decision to prosecute has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the DPP's interim guidelines on prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse.
'We have determined that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.’
'These allegations are not true and I'm very much looking forward to actually clearing my name on this'
Jessica Standley, a solicitor from
legal firm Slater & Gordon that is representing a number of Travis'
alleged victims, revealed her clients were 'relieved' at the charging
decision.
Dave Lee Travis
She said: 'Our clients are relieved that after this length of time, careful consideration has been given to the evidence and a decision has been made to prosecute in the criminal courts.
'It takes a great deal of courage for people to come forward with this kind of allegation and our clients look forward to having their voices heard in a court of law.'
Travis was the
fourth celebrity to be arrested by detectives from Operation Yewtree, which was
set up in the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal.
He was informed
of the decision to put him on trial by senior detectives during a brief meeting
at a police station.
Will appear in court: The 68-year-old is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault and a count of sexual assault
Several hours
earlier he declined to comment as he was driven away from his £1million Bedfordshire
mansion by his lawyer.
The shock
decision comes despite Travis insisting his ‘conscience is clear’ as he faced a
fresh wave of sex assault claims earlier this year.
Dave Lee Travis setting his alarm clock after it was announced he would be taking over the breakfast show on Radio One in 1978
He was
re-arrested and questioned about new evidence in a surprise move when he
answered bail in March.
Officers quizzed
him about several more incidents after more women came forward claiming to be
victims of the entertainer.
The original claims against Travis involved two adult women
who claimed he molested them in the 1970s and 80s at the height of his fame as
one of Britain's best-loved DJs.
One of the women was a TV presenter who said he groped her
while she was reading the news on BBC radio.
A second claimed Travis sexually assaulted her after
inviting her into his studio to help him select his next music track.
Travis, who was taken off air at Magic AM in the wake of his
arrest, has repeatedly insisted he is innocent of all allegations.
In an
extraordinary outburst in March, Travis said his reputation has been ‘tarnished
and dragged through the mud’ despite nothing have been proved against him.
Speaking at the time, he said: ‘The last four months have
been extraordinary.
‘Allegations which I strongly deny have been put to me by
the police and to which I have given full and complete answers. I have fully
co-operated and my conscience is clear.’
Travis is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 23 charged with 12 sexual offences
He added: ‘I deny any wrongdoing whatsoever, notwithstanding
this my reputation has been tarnished and dragged through the mud.’
THE 12 CHARGES AGAINST DLT
Dave Lee Travis, 68, of Bedfordshire, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 23. The charges are:
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 18, in 1977
- Two offences of indecent assault relating to a girl, aged 15, in 1977
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 19, in 1978
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 26 and 28, on a date between 1981 and 1983
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 18, in 1983
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 19 and 20, on a date in 1985
- One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 22, in 1990
- Three offences of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 26 and 29, from 2000 to 2003
- One offence of sexual assault relating to a woman, aged 23, in 2007.
Prosecutors
have decided that no further action should be taken in relation to
seven separate allegations made against the DJ because there was not
enough evidence.
And shortly after his arrest last November, Travis denied
being a sexual predator and claimed he was simply a ‘man who loves women.’
The former Radio One presenter, nicknamed DLT and The Hairy
Cornflake, said he was accused of ‘squeezing the boobs of a couple of women’.
He said none of the allegations involve children and said he
was appalled to have his name linked to Savile.
Travis, real name David Patrick Griffin, found fame in 1978
when he took over the Radio One breakfast show from Noel Edmonds.
The pace of the controversial Yewtree inquiry shows no sign
of slowing.
On Monday an unnamed 80-year-old man linked to Savile was
arrested in South London on suspicion of historic sexual assaults.
On the same day ex-Radio One DJ Chris Denning, who was
originally arrested in June, was re-bailed until October.
Last week veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, 83, was arrested
a second time after new alleged victims – believed to be based in Australia –
came forward.
Two other suspects could learn their fate within weeks after
full files of evidence were passed to the CPS.
They are comedian Jim Davidson, 59, and his friend and DJ
Mike Osman, 53, who accompanied him on overseas trips.
Others arrested as part of Yewtree include pop paedophile
Gary Glitter, 69, and Freddie Starr, 70, who both answer bail later this year.
Two people have been charged, PR supremo Max Clifford and
former BBC driver David Smith.
Smith, 67, who is accused of sexually abusing a young boy,
and Clifford, 70, who is charged with indecently assaulting seven women and
girls, will face trial next year.
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