A FORMER Forest of Dean freeminer and well-known local ’celebrity’, who has been immortalised in two statues in the district, has appeared at court on ten sexual assault charges involving two girls and a woman.
Charles ’Dave’ Harvey, aged 77, of Woodland Rise, Parkend, is accused of eight offences of indecently assaulting a girl under fourteen between 1972 and 1976 in Coleford.
He is also accused of one indecent assault of a different girl between 2001 and 2004.
He was also charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Cinderford between September and November 2013.
Harvey did not enter any pleas to the charges when he made a brief appearance before Gloucester Crown Court on Friday.
One of the statues of Mr Harvey, in the centre of Cinderford, shows him at work as a miner while the other located at Camp Mill on the grounds of the Dean Heritage Centre, depicts him as a boy miner being rescued from the collapsed pit.
Judge Jamie Tabor QC said although Harvey clearly had age-related issues there was no evidence that he would be unfit to stand trial.
The judge set a timetable for future progress of the case and told Harvey that his trial was to start on April 26.
Harvey was granted unconditional bail.
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