David Kirkby, 75, appeared at Burnley Crown Court on Tuesday (August 4), where he denied 10 counts of raping a child under 13 and two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2020 and 2023 in Bacup. Kirkby, of Heywood Old Road, Heywood, was bailed ahead of a trial expected to last between four and five days, which was scheduled for November 15, 2027. A pre-trial review was set for September 27, 2027.