A 60-year-old man was charged yesterday with defiling a 12-year-old boy in October.

The man, whose name is not being published in order to protect the identity of the minor, who is his neighbour, pleaded not guilty to defiling the young boy, to violently and indecently assaulting him and to committing a sexual offence in public. The area where the man lives is also not being published following a court order.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera refused the man’s request for bail and remanded him in custody.

Police inspector Louise Calleja prosecuted and Dr Franco Debono appeared for the defence.