Ex-Spandau Ballet singer accused of raping one woman and sexually assaulting six others

A former Spandau Ballet singer wept as he appeared in court on Thursday (June 23) charged with rape and sexual assault.

34-year-old Ross William Wild is accused of filming himself molesting six of his alleged victims while they were asleep, The Sun has revealed.

Wild is also charged with raping a seventh woman, blackmailing her and disclosing a private sexual picture of the complainant.

He broke down in tears as he appeared at Carlisle magistrates' court under his real name, Ross Davidson, accused of 17 offences over six years, between 2013 and 2018.

Wild was arrested at his parents' home in Aberdeen, Scotland, on Thursday after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised police to charge him earlier this week.

His solicitor Chris Toms told the court: "He is a professional musical performer," and while no formal plea was entered Mr Toms said about the rape charge: "That is firmly denied. He wants his day in court."

Wild has been remanded in custody and is due to appear on July 22 at Wood Green crown court, London.

Four of the alleged sex assaults are said to have taken place at Wild's home in Finchley, North London, on dates between October 2013 and December 2017, while another is alleged to have occurred at a hotel in Shrewsbury in June 2017.

The last incident allegedly happened in Cannes in May 2018, while Wild was attending the film festival - and the same month he joined chart-toppers Spandau Ballet.

Wild replaced original Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, 62, in 2018 as the 1980s' group's frontman.

It came after he played Elvis Presley in the hit West End musical 'Million Dollar Quartet' alongside the band's 60-year-old bassist Martin Kemp.

He was sacked by the group live on ITV's This Morning two years later, and said the shame and humiliation drove him to try and take his life while he was in Cannes.

The band had announced it would never perform again unless Hadley rejoined, effectively sacking their younger singer live on air.

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