A former police chief is to stand trial accused of rape and dozens of counts of sexual assault, some against children.
Retired Metropolitan Police chief superintendent Philip Gaisford appeared in court on Friday, December 7 accused of a catalogue of sexual offences against children over a period of more than a decade.
Gaisford, 64, of Old Lane, St Johns, Crowborough, was originally charged in August with 20 offences including the rape of a woman and a 15 year old boy and 18 further sexual offences against teenagers in Crowbourough and Caterham, Surrey. He was also accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
When he appeared at Lewes Crown Court prosecutors also charged him with a further 14 counts, all alleged to have taken place in Sussex between 2006 and 2009.
Gaisford, now an educational instructor, pleaded not guilty to all 35 counts.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “The charges, made on the authority of the Crown Prosecution Service, follow an investigation by detectives in East Sussex, which is continuing.
Investigation
“Sussex Police emphasise that the force will always take seriously any allegations of sexual offending, and every possible step will be taken to investigate whenever appropriate.
“Allegations of historic offences are treated just as seriously as any more recent offences. Police advice and assistance can be obtained by calling 101 and asking to speak in confidence to experienced detectives.”
He is charged with seven offences of indecent assault on a boy under 16, in Caterham, Surrey, between 1996 and 1999; the rape of a woman in Caterham between 1998 and 2000, and two offences of indecent assault on a 16-year old boy in Caterham in 2000.
He is also accused of three offences against a 15-year old boy in Crowborough in 2003 and 2004, seven offences against a 15-year old boy in Crowborough during 2006 and 2007, one offence of rape, and intending to pervert the course of justice in Crowborough in June this year.
Yesterday he was additionally charged with sexual assault on a 13-year old boy in Sussex between 2007 and 2008; one offence of sexual assault on a 15-year old girl in Sussex between 2007 and 2008; sexual assault on a boy aged between 13 and 15 between 2006 and 2009; attempted sexual assault on a 15-year old girl in Sussex between 2007 and 2008; and ten offences of possession of indecent videos of children between 2006 and 2007.
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