Former Dragons' Den star and Cameron adviser charged with child sexual assault

Doug Richard pictured in a 2005 promotional shot for Dragons’ Den

Doug Richard, a former Dragons’ Den star and adviser to David Cameron, is to appear in court charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old child.

Richard, 57, who founded School for Startups, a company that provides training for budding entrepreneurs, was one of the original “dragons” in the popular BBC show, appearing in the first two series alongside Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne.

His advisory work for the Conservative party started in 2008 when Cameron, then leader of the opposition, asked him to compile policy guidelines on support for small businesses. He published a government-requested review of the apprenticeship system in 2012.

The US-born Richard is charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. The alleged offences occurred on 2 January and relate to one victim aged 13 at the time.  (more...)

Former Dragons' Den star and Cameron adviser charged with child sexual assault