Former television weatherman Fred Talbot has been charged with a string of sex offences following a police investigation into claims of historic abuse during his teaching days.
The 64-year-old, who was a regular on the floating weather map in Liverpool's Albert Dock for ITV's This Morning, is accused of nine counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery.
The charges relate to the alleged sexual abuse of five men, three of whom claim they were under 16 at the time, Greater Manchester Police said.
Six counts of indecent assault involve one victim who attended a school in Newcastle.
The other offences relate to three victims who attended Altrincham Grammar School for Boys where Talbot used to teach biology
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21 Jan 2014The buggery charge also involves a former Altrincham pupil.
Talbot, of Bowdon, Altrincham, was charged after he reported to Bury police station this afternoon to answer bail.
He is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on February 11.
The veteran broadcaster is accused of committing the offences between 1968 and 1983, when he quit education to launch his television career.
All the alleged victims were aged 19 and under.
Talbot was arrested twice last year as part of the police investigation into claims he abused youngsters while working a teacher.
He was first questioned last April over allegations of indecent assault and inciting a child to commit gross indecency involving four other pupils.
He was also held on suspicion of indecent assault in relation to alleged offences carried out at schools in the North East where he was a trainee teacher in the 1960s.
He was rearrested in December after answering bail.
Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "We have carefully considered all the evidence gathered by Greater Manchester Police in relation to allegations from five complainants that Fred Talbot sexually assaulted them between the 1960s and 1980s.
"Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Talbot to be charged with 10 sexual offences relating to five complainants, three of whom were under 16 years of age at the time."
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: “Fred Talbot, of Langham Road, Bowden, has been charged with nine counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery.”
It went on: “The charges relate to the sexual abuse of five victims, three of whom were under 16 at the time.”
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