Wigan man accused of historical child sex offences

A Wigan man has been accused of a catalogue of sex crimes against children over almost three decades.
Wigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took placeWigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took place
Wigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took place

Dennis Michael Johnson appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with 21 separate counts of sex crimes against four children, including two rape charges.

The 56-year-old, of Logwood Avenue, was also charged with intimidating a witness or juror, conspiring to pervert the course of justice and causing actual bodily harm.

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In a short hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth, and entered no pleas to all of the accusations put to him.

Wigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took placeWigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took place
Wigan and Leigh Courthouse, where the hearing took place

Johnson is alleged to have committed indecent assaults on a girl under 14 years old between January 1991 and December 1992.

He is also accused of the same offence between January 1992 and December 1995, as well as the rape of a female under the age of 16.

In that same time period comes another charge of indecency assaulting a girl under the age of 14, and four times more between January 1995 and December 1998.

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From January 1998 to December 2000, Johnson was again accused of indecently assaulting a girl under 16, in addition to a further charge of raping a girl between January 1998 and December 2007.

Other charges include gross indecency with a boy under 14 from 1992-1995, as well as two counts of assault a 12-year-old girl by touching her sexually, between the start of 2016 and last September.

Finally, Johnson was charged with inciting a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity in July 2018, as well as attempting to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl.

He will next appear at Bolton Crown Court on October 23, and was granted conditional bail until then.