Ex-coach, convicted paedophile Bennell faces new sexual assault charges

Former football coach Barry Bennell, at the centre of a sweeping child abuse scandal, was charged Tuesday with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under 14 years old, the Crown Prosecution Service announced.

Convicted paedophile Bennell - who was hospitalised last week after being found unconscious in a Stevenage hotel - has been under investigation by eight police forces across England following fresh revelations of child abuse during his time as a youth coach.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Bennell will now begin and that he has a right to a fair trial," read an official statement. "It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

The new offences include five counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 years, two counts of inciting a boy under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency, and one count of assault with intent to commit buggery.

The offences were allegedly committed between 1981 and 1985.

More accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of Bennell gradually emerged following former Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward's harrowing testimony in the Guardian two weeks ago.

The 62-year-old Bennell was a serial sex abuser across three decades starting in the 1970s. In 1994, he was handed a four-year prison sentence while on tour in Florida for raping a British boy; four years later, he was sentenced to nine years for 23 offences against six boys in England.

He was also jailed in 2015 after describing himself as a "monster" in connection to a 1980 child abuse case.

Bennell served as a youth coach for Crewe, Manchester City, Stoke City, and other teams in the northwest. After Woodward came forward with fresh claims of abuse, more than 20 others approached the Professional Footballers' Association with further allegations.

Three others followed Woodward and went public with their own stories and suspicions. Former Preston North End reserve player David Lean, allegedly one of Bennell's earliest victims, said in an interview with Sky News that he warned authorities about hundreds of other footballers who Bennell abused in the 1980s.

The FA recently launched an investigation to determine what each of Bennell's clubs knew - if anything - about the widespread abuse. The organisation also appointed lawyer and expert in child protection Kate Gallafent to lead the independent panel as it interviews with various team officials.

Though initially silent in the aftermath of Woodward's decision to go public, Crewe also announced it will investigate how it dealt with the child abuse claims.

FA chairman Greg Clarke added he couldn't rule out the possibility of a cover-up.