Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster in the soap, is accused of 19 sex offences, including one of raping a child, police say. One of Coronation Street’s longest-serving actors, Michael Le Vell, has been charged with a string of child sex offences.
Le Vell, who plays garage owner ‘Kevin Webster’ in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences, including child rape, and sexual activity with a child between 2001 and 2010, Greater Manchester Police said.
Le Vell, 48, a father-of-two whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court charged with the offences on February 27.
The actor was initially arrested in connection with the offences in September 2011.
The investigation was dropped three months later when authorities said there would be no further action taken against him as there was not enough evidence against him.
However, following a review of the case by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service the decision has been taken that it is in the “public interest” to charge the actor. Speaking after the investigation against him was dropped in 2011, Le Vell said he was “delighted” to have been “completely exonerated”, thanked police for their “thorough” investigation and Coronation Street staff and the public for their support.
Le Vell vowed to put the allegations behind him and returned to the show after a short break and is now currently involved in some of the soap’s main storylines.
Alison Levitt, QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, reviewed a file of evidence in relation to allegations of sexual offences and looked again at a decision previously made not to prosecute.
Ms Levitt said: “I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.
“I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child.”
Le Vell, who split from his wife Janette Beverley last year, is one of television’s most famous faces after playing car mechanic Kevin Webster for the past 30 years in the TV show…
UPDATE: Not guilty: Corrie’s Kevin Webster cleared of child sex abuse offences
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