Embattled TV presenter John Leslie has spoken out about the sexual assault allegations that have been levelled against him.
The 38-year-old opened up to reporters after he was charged with two counts of indecent assault at a London police station. "There is absolutely no truth in the charges made against me," he said.
Leslie has been at the centre of persistent rumours for the past nine months, as detectives investigated one woman's allegation of rape and two others' accusations of indecent assault. After being arrested last December, he was fired from his £250,000 job as a presenter on ITV's This Morning.
He insists that he is innocent, however, and has vowed to clear his name. "Now I will have the chance to show my innocence in a court of law to a jury of my peers," he said on the steps of Forest Gate police station. "Such has been the speculation and endless rumour–mongering that I never believed I would be able to clear my name and my reputation without going through the due court proceedings. To that extent I eagerly await my trial.
"Over the last nine months I have been asked to remain silent by police and not to answer my accusers in the press, in order that they could conduct their investigation quickly and without additional prejudice… To be accused of such a crime when you are innocent is a heavy burden for any man to carry but if you are in the media spotlight, it's a particularly cruel experience."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
