Famous pianist faces sex assault allegations

John Briggs, 65, of Little Lane in East Morton, near Keighley, is accused of five offences involving three alleged victims, two of them under 16 and the third a male over 16.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in the early 1990s.

He faces four charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency with a child.

Briggs appeared before Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court where he was granted unconditional bail. He is due to make his first appearance at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday.

Briggs is a world renowned classical pianist and composer who has played at concerts across the globe, including at New York’s Carnegie Hall and on the edge of the Grand Canyon, a performance which required a helicopter to deliver the grand piano.

In 2011, 20 years after the original Grand Canyon event, he repeated the performance.

The Bingley-born musician has toured extensively and was made an MBE in 2003 for his community work.