Abuse accused named

A 62-year-old man facing four historic child sex abuse charges can now be named.

Dennes Dearnley, from Palmerston North, appeared in Masterton District Court yesterday, when an interim name suppression order preventing publication of his identity was lifted.

Dearnley is facing four child sexual abuse charges, all of which are alleged to have occurred in Carterton between 1964 and 1971.

The charges include one of rape and three of indecent assault.

The rape charge alleges that between June 14, 1969 and June 14, 1971, Dearnley raped a girl aged between 8 and 10 years old.

During the same time period, he has also been charged with indecent assault on the same victim.

The third charge alleges that between May 21, 1964 and August 6, 1966, he indecently assaulted a girl aged between 9 and 12, while the fourth relates to indecent assault against the same girl between May 21, 1966 and August 6, 1970.

The defendant has not yet entered a plea and he has been released on bail to appear again at Masterton District Court on February 8.

The identities of the victims are suppressed by the court.