Man in court in connection with attempted abduction (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man in court in connection with attempted abduction

8:28am Friday 23rd May 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A MAN has appeared in court accused of trying to kidnap a 10-year-old girl from outside a Swindon school.

Keith Richard Robert King appeared from custody at Swindon magistrates court yesterday.

He denied approaching a 10-year-old girl last Friday as she was walking to a school, which cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Magistrates were told King, 59, did not have a permanent address and lived out of his red van, parked near Coate Water, but he had registered a postal address in Carshalton Road, Park South, with the court.

Balding, grey-haired King, dressed in a tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his name and to deny the charge of attempting to take a child under 16.

King was remanded in custody until his case is committed to crown next week.

Two more children reported being approached by a suspicious man on Saturday and Monday.

Swindon police said they are keeping an open mind about if the other two alleged attempted abductions are linked.

King was arrested on Tuesday.

Police are still investigating him as a suspect in the other incidents involving children aged seven and 11 years old.

The case will be committed to Crown Court in July.