THE former lead singer of a well-known Newcastle band accused of using his status as a musician to meet, groom and have sex with teenage girls is now facing 74 charges of sexual and indecent assault against 14 young girls over a 15-year period, according to court documents.
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Prosecutors finalised the charges against Daniel Hanson this week with the 33-year-old now facing a number of fresh charges, including two counts of persistent sexual abuse of a child, which carries a maximum of life imprisonment.
Those charges relate to Mr Hanson allegedly maintaining an "unlawful relationship" with two girls, both younger than 16, between 2005 and 2007 while Mr Hanson was aged between 18 and 20.
Mr Hanson, also known as Jimmy Hanson, did not appear on screen from jail on Wednesday as the DPP revealed it had finalised the charges against him.
Once charged with as many as 111 offences, the DPP have withdrawn 37 charges and Mr Hanson is currently charged with 74 child sexual assault and indecent assault offences, including multiple counts of having sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 14.
The allegations range from between 2004 and 2018 and relate to 14 young girls, most of whom were allegedly under the age of 16.
The offences are alleged to have occurred at Jesmond, Wallsend, Tingira Heights, Birmingham Gardens, Maryville, Windale, Newcastle, Hamilton East, Gateshead, Glendale, Fletcher, Warabrook and Merewether, according to court documents.
Once known under the stage name of Jimmy Beloved - front man of band Falling For Beloved - Mr Hanson formed post-hardcore group We Built Atlantis in 2011.
Detectives arrested Mr Hanson in August last year and charged him with 10 offences after a five-month investigation into reports of sexual and indecent assaults between 2008 and 2014.
Then in November, after more alleged victims came forward to speak with police, detectives announced that Mr Hanson had been charged with an additional 45 sexual assault offences.
The count peaked at 111 before the DPP finalised the charges this week.
On Wednesday, Mr Hanson's matter was adjourned until October 28, with the parties expected to meet for a conference to discuss the charges in September.
