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Rolf Harris found guilty of sexual assault

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Press Trust of India London
Britain's veteran entertainer Rolf Harris was found guilty today of 12 counts of indecently assaulting four girls between 1968 and 1986.

One of the victims was a childhood friend of his daughter, while another was aged seven or eight.

The court heard Harris, 84, was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character, and he will be sentenced on Friday.

Police also said they were considering fresh allegations against Harris which did not form part of his recent trial.

Justice Sweeney said a custodial term was "uppermost in the court's mind", but he wanted to see a medical report before sentencing.

Harris, who was granted bail, faced a mass of photographers and reporters as he left Southwark Crown Court in the company of his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi.
 

Prosecutors said Harris used his "status and position" to abuse his victims, and he had a dark side to his personality.

The central allegation concerned a friend of Harris's daughter, whom the court heard he groomed and molested from the age of 13 until she was 19.

The other victims told the court they were touched or groped by Harris, sometimes at his public appearances.

The jury deliberated for 37 hours and 45 minutes before reaching their unanimous verdicts.

The assaults took place between 1968 and 1986 and involved girls and women ranging in age from 7 to 19, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Dozens more alleged victims have come forward during the trial, including several in Australia, and Scotland Yard has been in touch with their counterparts in the Australian police, but it is not yet clear whether they are pursuing any investigation in Harris's home country.

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First Published: Jul 01 2014 | 1:34 AM IST

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