Reading Magistrates' Court: Calcot man faces 19 child sex abuse charges

A MAN has appeared in court charged with committing 19 serious sexual offences against children.

In the dock at Reading Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, July 27, was Anthony Shackell.

The 79-year-old, of Mey Close, Calcot, is accused of molesting the children, as young as primary school age, in various ways including by touching their genitals, by making them touch him and by penetrative sexual activity.

All the offences are said to have been committed on various dates in years up to and including 2020.

Magistrates declined further jurisdiction and sent all the above matters to be dealt with by a judge sitting at Reading Crown Court on a date to be fixed.

Mr Shackell will be expected to enter pleas to each of the charges when he next appears in the dock there.

He was meanwhile released on bail with conditions.