July 6, 2017 10.44 am This story is over 79 months old

Man, 82, denies historic sex offences against five boys in Diocese of Lincoln

An 82-year-old man charged as part of an ongoing investigation in to historic child abuse allegations in the Lincoln Diocese has denied sex offences against five boys. Roy Griffiths from Sherborne in Dorset entered not guilty pleas to 11 sexual offences after appearing at Lincoln Crown Court by video-link from Bournemouth Crown Court. Griffiths denied…

An 82-year-old man charged as part of an ongoing investigation in to historic child abuse allegations in the Lincoln Diocese has denied sex offences against five boys.

Roy Griffiths from Sherborne in Dorset entered not guilty pleas to 11 sexual offences after appearing at Lincoln Crown Court by video-link from Bournemouth Crown Court.

Griffiths denied eight charges of indecent assault on a male aged under 16 and two charges of indecency with a child aged under 14.

He also denied one charge of an attempted serious sexual offence.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between January 1963 and December 1972.

The investigation called Operation Redstone is a probe in to allegations of abuse dating back to 1958 following a review of past safeguarding cases by the Diocese of Lincoln.

Lincolnshire Police confirmed in September 2016 that it was looking in to abuse claims surrounding the Cathedral School in Lincoln.

Judge Simon Hirst adjourned the case for a trial beginning at Lincoln Crown Court on April 3, next year.

The trial is expected to last at least two weeks.

Griffiths, of South Street, Sherborne, Dorset, was granted conditional bail until his trial.