LONDON — Australia-born entertainer Rolf Harris, a fixture of British TV for more than 40 years, on Monday was found guilty on 12 counts of indecent assault.
The 12 offenses against women aged 7 to 19 at the time took place between 1968 and 1986. Harris, a TV personality, singer and painter, denied all charges.
The 84-year-old, a former BBC stalwart, was originally brought in by police as part of Operation Yewtree, an investigation sparked by but unrelated to sex abuse allegations against late BBC host Jimmy Savile.
The 12-person jury in the case on Monday found him guilty on all 12 counts, the BBC reported. His sentencing is scheduled for Friday.
During the seven-week trial, the prosecution portrayed Harris as having a “Jekyll and Hyde” personality, meaning he has a friendly and a dark side.
In June 2012, Harris appeared at Queen Elizabeth‘s Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace. That same month, he was awarded one of Australia’s highest honors when he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Email: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
