A 66-YEAR-OLD Tamworth man charged with raping and assaulting under-age girls has had his case committed to crown court.

The man, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, appeared at Burton Magistrates' Court on Monday February 6.

The defendant issued no plea to the 20 charges put before him, which were alleged to have taken place over a period of time spanning five decades.

The charges included two counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14 years of age between September 19 1970 and September 18, 1971 and between 19/09/77 and 18/09/79.

Nine charges of raping a female under 16 between 19/09/74 and 18/08/75, 19/09/75 and 18/09/76, 19/09/76 and 18/09/77, 19/09/77 and 18/09/78, 19/09/78 and 18/09/79, 15/10/77 and 15/10/78, 15/10/78 and 14/10/79, 15/10/79 and 14/10/80, 15/10/80 and 14/10/81.

Three charges of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years between 17/04/97 and 16/04/99, 25/12/99 and 28/12/00, 27/09/03 and 30/04/04.

And six charges of assaulting a girl under 13 between 27/09/04 and 26/09/05, 15/09/05 and 14/09/06, 01/04/05 and 01/04/07, 15/09/06 and 14/09/07, 11/03/10 and 11/03/11 and on 12/03/11

The defendant will next appear at Stafford Crown Court on Monday, February 13.