Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis involved in 'calculated and prolonged' sex crimes spanning 30 years, court hears

68-year-old will deny 11 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault against nine alleged victims, says his solicitor

Former radio presenter Dave Lee Travis arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court in central London on 23 August 2013 to face charges of indecent and sexual assault (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

The former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis appeared in court today accused of involvement in "calculated and prolonged" sex crimes spanning 30 years.

Mr Travis, 68, will deny 11 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault against nine alleged victims, the youngest aged 15 at the time, when his case finally comes to trial, his solicitor said.

Mr Travis - who is charged under his real name of David Griffin - was first arrested in November last year by officers investigating the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal and was charged this month with the alleged attacks that date from 1977. The charges against Mr Travis are not linked to Savile.

Prosecutor Izolda Switala-Gribbin told the court that the case should be dealt with by a higher court "given that the behaviour was calculated and prolonged".

Mr Travis, wearing a blue suit and multi-coloured tie for today's brief appearance, has consistently denied any wrong-doing and asked court staff why he had to appear in the dock for a brief hearing at Westminster magistrates' court, central London.

He was bailed on condition that he remained at his home in Mentmore, Bedfordshire, and did not contact any of the women who were said to have made the allegations against him.

He is next due in court on September 6 at Southwark Crown court. A surprised Mr Travis interrupted the district judge John Zani to question whether he would stand trial on that day, but was told it was only for an initial hearing.

After the short appearance, he spoke briefly to reporters outside the court room. "There's no such thing as quick words," he said. "If I could stand here for an hour-and-a-half, I would. I either talk for a long time or I don't and at the moment I'm not talking."

Amid chaotic scenes outside the court, Mr Travis said that he had the support of his family but indicated that his wife had not attended the court because of the close media attention. "My wife is not here today and the reason she is not here today is because I detest hare coursing," he said before he was helped to a car.

The former pirate radio presenter started work at the BBC in the late 1960s and continued his association with the corporation for most of his working life.

His shows included Top of the Pops and presented a World Service music request show which was described as a lifeline by the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi while she spent years under house arrest. At the time of his arrest, he was broadcasting weekend programmes at Magic Radio to audiences in the north of England.

The charges are:

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 18, in 1977.

* Two offences of indecent assault relating to a girl, aged 15, in 1977.

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 19, in 1978.

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 26 and 28, on a date between 1981 and 1983.

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 18, in 1983.

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 19 and 20, on a date in 1985.

* One offence of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged 22, in 1990.

* Three offences of indecent assault relating to a woman, aged between 26 and 29, from 2000 to 2003.

* One offence of sexual assault relating to a woman, aged 23, in 2007.

PA