An East Cumbrian man has been charged with committing 27 sexual abuse offences against three young girls.
Simon Blenkinship, 55, of Blencarn, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Blenkinship is charged with 27 sexual offences committed on various dates and periods between 2006 and November 2019, at Armathwaite, Penrith, Bampton and Woburn Forest in Bedford.
This includes a number of rapes, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and sexual assault using a glass object, engaging in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photos of a child.
The girls were as young as just seven to eight years old when some of the alleged offences took place.
Blenkinship did not enter any pleas when he appeared at court and due to the nature and severity of the charges the case was automatically committed to Carlisle Crown Court.
He will appear at Carlisle Crown Court on September 14.
He was released on conditional bail not to contact prosecution witnesses, including the victims.
