A teacher today denied a string of sex attacks against young girls allegedly carried out three decades ago.
Joseph Kinnear pleaded not guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to a total of 10 charges of molesting girls as young as nine.
He is accused of one count of rape, one of attempted rape and eight charges of indecent assault between 1976 and 1979.
The 52-year-old, from East Newtown Cottage, near Rothbury, Northumberland, will stand trial at the same court in November.
Judge David Hodson, the Recorder of Newcastle, adjourned the case for a pre-trial hearing in July and set a trial date of November 14.
Kinnear was remanded on conditional bail and ordered to have no contact with prosecution witnesses.
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