Pop mogul appears in court charged with 18 historic sex offences
Pop mogul and record producer Jonathan King smiled as he appeared in court charged with 18 historical sex offences against nine teenage boys.
King, 72, allegedly assaulted the boys, all aged between 14 and 16, between 1970 and 1986.
Most of the alleged attacks came in the mid 80s.
Former DJ King who appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court under his real name Kenneth charged with 15 counts of indecent assault and three counts of buggery.
Thirteen of the indecent assault allegations relate to boys younger than 16.
A smiling King, bespectacled and wearing a black suit, blue tie and trainers only spoke to confirm his name, age and address.
Prosecutor Deborah Jeffrey said: ‘Mr King faces 18 charges in relation to historic allegations of sexual assault by nine different men.
‘There are a number of complainants in the matter, offences occurred between 1970 and 1986 and the complainants are aged between 14 and 16 years of age.
‘The assaults included buggery and the indecent assaults included a range of touching both under clothing and over clothing, masturbation and oral sex.’
The offences were uncovered as part of Surrey Police ‘Operation Ravine’.
Operation Ravine was established in early 2015 following a review by Merseyside Police into the Surrey Police investigation entitled Operation Arundel, which launched in 2000.
Cambridge graduate King was famed for songs including Everyone’s Gone to the Moon and Hooked on a Feeling and discovered the band Genesis as a music producer.
He appeared many times on television on both sides of the Atlantic including on shows like Top of the Pops and Entertainment USA.
Steven Bird, defending said: ‘Mr King will be contesting these allegations.’
King, of Queensborough Studios, Bayswater denies 13 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16, two counts of indecent assault on a man over sixteen years and three counts of buggery with a male aged 16-21.
After King indicated his not guilty pleas Senior District Judge Emma Arbuthnot released him on bail and sent the case to be heard at the crown court.
He will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on 24 July.
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