AN elderly man has been charged with sending sexual messages to a child in Oxford.

Leslie Gaul, 71, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (April 16) charged with one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

It is alleged that between August 26 and September 14 last year, he messaged a girl under the age of 16 on Facebook and the messages were reportedly of a sexual nature.

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The girl cannot be named for legal reasons.

Gaul, of Green Road, Didcot, appeared in the lower court for his first hearing.

He is now due in the same court on Wednesday, May 8 for a plea hearing.

If guilty, Gaul could face a prison sentence or a fine.