A HORLEY man has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a woman.
Philip Stone faces four charges, the most serious of which is assault by penetration, which he is alleged to have carried out sometime between April 22 and 26 last year at an address in Three Bridges.
The 47-year-old, of The Crescent, appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Wednesday last week, where the case was immediately transferred to Lewes Crown Court. He entered no pleas.
Stone is also accused, over the same dates, of intentionally touching a woman aged 16 or over, and that the touching was sexual and she did not consent.
He is accused of attempting to sexually assault, by penetration, the same female without her consent. And he is charged with causing the female to engage in sexual activity, by placing her hand on his penis, when she did not consent.
A preliminary hearing will be held at Lewes Crown Court on February 20, at which time Stone will be asked to enter a plea.
He was granted conditional bail and told not to contact, directly or indirectly, the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
