Chit Chat
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
07 Sep 15
20:58
Joined:
Date Joined:
27 May 11
EX-DRAGONS’ Den star Doug Richard has been charged with child sex offences.
The former adviser to David Cameron, who was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences and bailed in January, denies the charges.
The 56-year-old entrepreneur is accused of three counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Richard, who now lives in Cambridge, said: "I absolutely deny the charges against me and I will contest this matter in court."
Richard, honoured by the Queen for his work helping entrepreneurs, will appear before City of London Magistrates' Court on Monday 5 October 2015.
Caroline Hughes, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by City of London Police in relation to Douglas Richard, 57, who was arrested on 5 January this year.
“Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Douglas Richard to be charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
“The alleged offences occurred on 2 January 2015 and relate to one victim aged 13 at the time.
Doug Richard and George Osborne
"The decision to prosecute has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Mr Richard will appear before City of London Magistrates' Court on 5 October."
American-born Richard has also worked as an advisor to Chancellor, George Osborne.
In 2008, the Californian founded a business loans organisation named School for Startups, alongside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
It won sponsorship from Santander bank and mobile phone firm O2 and operates at universities, including Nottingham, Coventry and Plymouth.
The project then went international – opening a branch in Romania in 2011.
Richard remained an advisor after Mr Cameron entered Downing Street in May 2010.
The Tory leader announced Richard’s business loans company had been selected to take part in a government drive to release £30million of funding to fledgling firms.
A video uploaded to YouTube shows Richard interviewing George Osborne on a stage at the launch of a project called StartUp Britain.
Mr Cameron was also present at the launch in March 2011.
In July 2011 Richard accompanied the Prime Minister on an two-day trip to South Africa and Nigeria.
He was selected as part of a 25-strong business delegation including then Barclays boss Bob Diamond for the visit which was designed to boost trade in sub-Saharan Africa.
In October 2013, Conservative skills and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock announced that Richard had been again consulted over policy reforms.
Hancock said at the time: “We asked Doug Richard to review the Apprenticeship system and tell us what was needed to make the British system a world leader.”
The former adviser to David Cameron, who was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences and bailed in January, denies the charges.
The 56-year-old entrepreneur is accused of three counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Richard, who now lives in Cambridge, said: "I absolutely deny the charges against me and I will contest this matter in court."
Richard, honoured by the Queen for his work helping entrepreneurs, will appear before City of London Magistrates' Court on Monday 5 October 2015.
Caroline Hughes, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We have carefully considered the evidence gathered by City of London Police in relation to Douglas Richard, 57, who was arrested on 5 January this year.
“Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Douglas Richard to be charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
“The alleged offences occurred on 2 January 2015 and relate to one victim aged 13 at the time.
Doug Richard and George Osborne
"The decision to prosecute has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Mr Richard will appear before City of London Magistrates' Court on 5 October."
American-born Richard has also worked as an advisor to Chancellor, George Osborne.
In 2008, the Californian founded a business loans organisation named School for Startups, alongside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
It won sponsorship from Santander bank and mobile phone firm O2 and operates at universities, including Nottingham, Coventry and Plymouth.
The project then went international – opening a branch in Romania in 2011.
Richard remained an advisor after Mr Cameron entered Downing Street in May 2010.
The Tory leader announced Richard’s business loans company had been selected to take part in a government drive to release £30million of funding to fledgling firms.
A video uploaded to YouTube shows Richard interviewing George Osborne on a stage at the launch of a project called StartUp Britain.
Mr Cameron was also present at the launch in March 2011.
In July 2011 Richard accompanied the Prime Minister on an two-day trip to South Africa and Nigeria.
He was selected as part of a 25-strong business delegation including then Barclays boss Bob Diamond for the visit which was designed to boost trade in sub-Saharan Africa.
In October 2013, Conservative skills and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock announced that Richard had been again consulted over policy reforms.
Hancock said at the time: “We asked Doug Richard to review the Apprenticeship system and tell us what was needed to make the British system a world leader.”
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 8
|
By:
Not often news of a foreigner charged of interfering wiv da kidz gets no reaction on chitchat!
|
|
By:
Had just been given Role as honorary chancellor at Teesside University but in January University suddenly changed its mind ,they knew strangely Leon Brittain was a former Chancellor!
|
|
By:
Justice should be done before comment. Innocent until proven guilty. Or is it the case that you would like the baying mob to descend on the man?
|
|
By:
I note you don't seem to have much to say about the Ayslebury six Die Linke.
Why is that? |
|
By:
Oh I think the sick fek is guilty Eo I have a little inside info on Uni link as for the Muslim scum and I did say Muslim
(Not Asian as pathetic media outlets have said) I'd Acid Bath the lot of them . |
|
By:
Fair play to you tonks. You may be a whisky sozzled old soak but you still know your onions and your stance on the muslims gangs is clear. I was wondering about Die Linke and his position.
|
|
By:
All four alleged offences took place on the same day?
|
|
By:
The alleged offences occurred on 2 January 2015 and relate to one victim aged 13 at the time
Recent enough that there should be some proper evidence and not just "he said/she said" from 30 years ago. |