ROLF Harris was facing new sex assault claims last night after he was found guilty of preying on girls as young as seven.
Rolf Harris leaving Southwark Crown Court today with wife Alwen and, inset, his police mugshot[REUTERS/PA]The celebrity alleges that Harris brazenly groped her during an appearance on television and then behaved as if nothing had happened when she challenged him off-air.
As 84-year-old Harris faced up to seven years in jail after decades of abuse, he is set to be stripped of his CBE and other honours awarded over a glittering 60-year showbusiness career.
The paedophile remained expressionless as the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts and Harris then raised his eyebrows to his wife Alwen as he was led from the dock.
Last night, Britain’s leading children’s charity, which played a critical role in bringing Harris to justice, acknowledged an association with the disgraced entertainer stretching back decades.
While abusing children in secret, Harris promoted campaigns for the NSPCC, and the charity advised him on a video he fronted to alert youngsters to the dangers of paedophiles.
Harris, said to be worth £11million, was released on bail and will be sentenced on Friday.
He left court clutching the hands of his daughter Bindi and wife but refused to apologise to his victims.
Harris was accused of indecently assaulting girls at the height of his fame [EXPRESS]The star was driven away in a black limousine.
Mr Justice Sweeney made it clear the he faces a possible custodial sentence despite being released on bail. He told defence counsel Sonia Woodley QC: “He will understand that in doing that I’m giving no indication whatsoever as to the nature of the sentence.
“In reality, given the conviction on all 12 counts it’s inevitable that the type of sentence that is upper most in the court’s mind is a custodial sentence and he must understand that.”
The lawyer replied: “He does appreciate that.”
A legal expert said last night Harris is likely to receive a lighter sentence than if the offences had been more recent. He could be sent to a veterans’ prison with other older convicts and be freed early on grounds of his age.
All in all, he may only spend 18 months in jail.
The new accusers came forward shortly before and after Harris went on trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court for indecently assaulting four girls aged from seven and 19 between 1968 and 1986.
It ended yesterday as Harris was found guilty of all 12 charges of indecent assault.
The presenter became a household name after fronting shows such as Animal Hospital [EXPRESS]The oldest victim – whose life has been totally destroyed by the abuse she suffered at his hands – was a childhood friend of his daughter Bindi.
Driven to drink by her 16-year ordeal, the woman finally plucked up the courage to go to police after seeking support from the NSPCC.
Peter Watt, the charity’s director of national services, said: “We’re delighted to have played a major role in helping bring Rolf Harris to justice and to uncover the dark side of an entertainer who hid behind his happy-go-lucky persona while committing sexual offences.
“We had 28 calls about him through our helpline. This included 13 people who said they had been abused by him, as well as members of the public who called with potentially useful information for the investigation.
“All of this was passed to the police, helping them to build their case against Harris, whose actions over the years have seriously damaged the lives of his victims.
“His reckless and brazen sexual offending, sometimes in public places, bizarrely within sight of people he knew, speaks volumes about just how untouchable he thought he was.
“Like many children overwhelmed by the trauma of sexual abuse, those he targeted struggled to understand the ordeal they had been through at the time, and battled to come to terms with the impact of their experience at his hands. Some felt ashamed at what had been done to them.
“But now the world knows only one person should be ashamed, and that is Rolf Harris.
Harris painted a portrait of the Queen during his long and varied career [BBC]“Those involved in this case have shown enormous strength in giving evidence and reliving their awful experiences. We hope they will now get the support needed to help them rebuild their lives.
“Once more we have seen that victims of sexual abuse are not alone and that they will be listened to when they contact our helpline.”
Harris is the highest profile sex attacker to be convicted following an investigation by Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree. The multi-million-pound inquiry was initially launched to probe the alleged sex abuse by BBC Top Of The Pops star Jimmy Savile. Harris’s crimes are not linked to the late DJ.
Harris’s conviction is devastating for his 82-year-old wife Alwen who struggled into court during most days of the trial.
It is also a crushing blow for their daughter Bindi Nicholls who gave evidence in her father’s defence and broke down yesterday.
The verdicts counter the claims of some stars that Operation Yewtree is merely a celebrity witch hunt to make up for the police’s abject failure to stop Savile abusing children.
Detective Chief Inspector Mick Orchard, said outside court: “Rolf Harris has habitually denied any wrong-doing forcing his victims to recount their ordeal in public.
His reckless and brazen sexual offending, sometimes in public places, bizarrely within sight of people he knew, speaks volumes about just how untouchable he thought he was
“He committed many offences in plain sight of people as he thought his celebrity status placed him above the law.
“I want to thank the women who came forward for their bravery. I hope today’s guilty verdict will give them closure and help them to begin to move on with their lives.
“Today’s case and verdict once again shows that we will always listen to, and investigate allegations regardless of the time frame or those involved.”
The trial had heard how Harris preyed on his daughter Bindi’s closest childhood friend from the age of 13. He treated her like a sex toy, an object of no value other than to give him pleasure.
Harris first assaulted the girl in a hotel room in Hawaii. Two years later, he was regularly molesting her at his home in Bray, Berkshire.
On one occasion, he even brazenly performed a sex act on the teenager while his daughter slept in a bed just a few feet away. Harris also groped the girl in her own home while her mother and his wife chatted in another room in the house.
Terrified of the TV star – and convinced no one would believe her if she told the truth – the girl began drinking gin “by the shed load”.
The abuse continued into adulthood when his victim was so conditioned, she gave in to all his demands.
Harris claimed he had a consenting adult affair with the woman and denied abusing her.
But in a key moment in the trial, he admitted he may have sexually “admired” her after seeing her in a flesh-coloured bikini when she was just 13.
Other victims included a woman whose life was changed after Harris groped her twice between the legs when she was just seven.
She had gone to the Leigh Park community centre in Portsmouth to ask for his autograph – but was molested instead.
“I was never the same little girl,” she said.
Harris also molested an autograph hunter in Cambridgeshire while she was working as a waitress.
The 14-year-old first spotted Harris as he was larking around on all fours and barking at a little dog. He grabbed her in a bear bug before groping her.
Other women, whose ordeals did not form part of the charges against Harris, also came forward after his arrest.
One victim was just 14 when he stroked her bottom in a motel in Sydney in 1977.
As she “writhed” to get away, Harris followed her to the lift and said “Rolfie deserves a cuddle” as he fondled her breasts. Another victim told police how she was left feeling “disgusting and dirty” after the children’s entertainer thrust his tongue into her mouth.
Harris also targeted a 24-year-old woman with mental health problems in 1999.
She told how he slipped his hand inside her trousers and touched her buttocks. Later, he performed a sex act on her, the woman said.
Jenny Hopkins, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, said: “Rolf Harris used his status and position as a world-famous children’s entertainer to sexually assault young girls over a period spanning 18 years. The victims in this case have suffered in silence for many years and have only recently found the courage to come forward.
“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery they displayed in coming to court and giving evidence. That bravery and determination has seen Rolf Harris brought to justice and held to account.
“Each victim, unknown to the others, described a similar pattern of behaviour; that of a man acting without fear of the consequences.
“The prosecution of sexual offences is often difficult and complex, perhaps even more so when the allegations are from some years ago.
“We will continue to consider cases and wherever there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest, we will work with police and victims to build strong cases which can be put before a court.
“I hope today’s verdict provides other victims with the courage and confidence to come forward no matter who is alleged to have carried out the abuse and when.”
Adam Pemberton, Assistant Chief Executive at Victim Support, paid tribute to the courage of the women who gave evidence against Harris.
He said: “Criminal justice relies on the bravery of victims and witnesses, as without them there is no case.
“It takes tremendous courage and huge strength to report sex abuse and go on to give evidence in court against an attacker, especially when a case is as high profile as this and others in Operation Yewtree.
“Victim Support helped these women through its Witness Service and is committed to ensuring victims of historical sexual abuse everywhere get the help they need to give the best possible evidence.”
Five Witness Service volunteers at Southwark Crown Court supported 20 prosecution witnesses during the trial, including 10 people who came to the UK from as far away as Australia to give evidence.
Detectives are investigating the claims of the new accusers and files on each allegation will be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Senior lawyers will decide if Harris should face new charges.
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