Coronation Street star William Roache denies child rape
William Roache, the actor who plays Ken Barlow in TV soap Coronation Street, pleads not guilty to committing historic sexual offences against five girls.
The 81-year-old actor, who has played Ken Barlow since the inception of Coronation Street, formally denied the charges in a hearing at Preston crown court.
He was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in May and charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in east Lancashire in 1967.
He was later additionally charged with five indecent assaults involving four girls aged between 11 or 12 and 16, allegedly committed in the Manchester area between 1965 and 1968.
Mr Roache’s trial will begin at Preston crown court on 14 January and is scheduled to last four weeks.
He remains on bail with various conditions including residence, no direct unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and not to approach named witnesses.
When he was initially charged, Mr Roache said he was “astounded and deeply horrified” by the accusations and vowed to “strenuously deny” the allegations.
William Roache’s stint on Cronoation Street makes him the world’s longest-serving soap actor. He has played Ken Barlow in since its launch but will not be appearing in the programme until legal proceedings are concluded.
