Author admits sex attack charges

William Mayne changed his plea to guilty to indecent assault

A children's author is facing jail after he admitted sexually abusing girls in cases going back to the 1960s.

William Mayne, 76, of Thornton Rust, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, was being tried for 15 alleged sex offences.

But he changed his plea to guilty on 11 charges of indecent assault involving six girls, aged from six to 16, between 1960 and 1975.

Mayne was remanded on bail until 30 April and has been told by the judge he is likely to be sent to jail.

First arrest

The jury entered formal not guilty verdicts on two rape charges on the instructions of Judge David Bryant.

Two charges of indecent assault were ordered to lie on file.

Mayne was first arrested in 1999 but the case did not proceed.

He was re-arrested and charged last year after more women came forward.

Before Mayne changed his plea, Teesside Crown Court heard from a woman, now in her 50s, who said the author regularly abused her when she was between seven and 13.

She said the offences took place both in Thornton Rust and at Mayne's flat in St John's Wood in London.

Mayne's books include the Earthfasts, Cradlefasts and Candlefasts trilogy.

He won the Carnegie Medal for children's literature in 1957.