A PENSIONER charged with molesting children, raping a girl under-16 and attempting to rape another in the 1970s and 80s avoided prosecution – by dying.

Trevor Dennis, 78, formerly of Bexhill, East Sussex, had been due to appear before Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday to face 20 charges of assaulting two girls in Chippenham in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

They included 14 counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency committed against a girl under-14, rape and attempted rape.

The case had been adjourned from July 17 at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Yesterday morning, magistrates in Court One noticed a coroner’s death certificate had been added to the case files.

Jane Flew, chairman of the bench, said: “Formally, we mark the case against Trevor Eric Abnor Dennis abated by virtue of his demise.”

The date of Dennis' death was not given in open court.