London (AFP) – Entertainer Rolf Harris watched by video link Monday as a London court chose a jury at the start of his trial over a string of alleged sex assaults.
The Australian television star, 86, is accused of seven counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault which allegedly took place between 1971 and 2003.
During this period Harris enjoyed celebrity status in Britain, won through a combination of catchy songs and quick drawings which made for popular children’s television.
Judge Alistair McCreath ruled in December that Harris does not have to attend the trial in person due to his age and health.
Appearing on a screen, seated at a table wearing a dark jacket and tie, the artist and former pop star spoke to confirm his name.
Harris watched on video link as a jury of seven men and five women were selected. They stood in front of a camera so Harris could see them, before entering the jury benches.
“We in the courts are waking up to the reality that we live in the digital world,” McCreath said.
“We can very happily try Mr Harris without him having to be here. It actually makes a lot of sense for him to attend this trial remotely.”
Jurors were warned to rely only on the evidence heard in court and not to conduct their own research.
Prosecutors are expected to open their case against Harris on Wednesday and the trial is expected to last around six weeks.
After studying art in London, Harris found fame in the 1960s when he secured his own television show after landing work at the BBC.
He scored a chart hit with the 1969 track “Two Little Boys”, about two youngsters who grow up to fight in a war together, and performed his song “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” with the Beatles.
His success continued with the BBC’s “Animal Hospital” in the 1990s and in 2005 he painted an 80th birthday portrait of Queen Elizabeth.
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