Northamptonshire boy, 15, charged with 22 offences

A 15-year-old boy in Wellingborough has been charged with 22 offences involving eight girls, including a 10-year-old, dating from 2022 to 2025. The complainants were aged between 10 and 15 at the time; the youth cannot be named due to age. The charges include rape, multiple counts of sexual assault and touching, as well as offences involving indecent images and possessing extreme porn. At a brief hearing, he was told the case is too serious to be heard in the youth court and will proceed at Northampton Crown Court, with a date set for August 18. He was granted conditional bail and ordered not to contact the alleged victims or have unsupervised contact with females under 16, and to engage with the Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service. He appeared accompanied by a family member and answered questions with brief confirmations, with the judge emphasizing the seriousness of the case.