A man from Dilton Marsh has been charged with a string of child sex offences including rape.
55-year-old David Hedges appeared at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Friday (13 January).
The defendant, of Fairhaven, faces 16 allegations – five of which can only be heard in the crown court. 
The charges relate to multiple alleged victims and are dated between 1998 and 2006.
They include:
- Rape of a child x3
- Indecent assault of a child x5
- Sexual assault of a child by touching x2
- Sexual assault of a child by penetration x2
- Inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency x2
- Cause a child to engage in sexual activity x2
The case was sent to Salisbury Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 15 February. Hedges was released on unconditional bail.
The alleged victims in this case have the life-long legal right to anonymity. It is an imprisonable criminal offence to share any piece of information that could lead to their identification.
