A man was due in court today charged over a knifepoint sex attack on an 11-year-old girl 28 years ago.

Detectives from Thames Valley Police’s major crime review team arrested 45-year-old Adrian De Havilland – formerly known as Adrian Goodenough – in Wigan, Greater Manchester, on Monday following after a review of forensic evidence from the attack on April 24, 1982.

The victim and a ten-year-old friend were walking along an isolated track between Harwell and West Hagbourne when a teenager in a mask jumped out in front of them.

He threatened them with a knife, exposed himself and then forced the ten-year-old to watch as he indecently assaulted the victim.

Police at the time described it as “a very nasty indecent assault”.

The attacker was described as being aged between 16 and 20 and wearing a black motorcycle balaclava with red edging, a burgundy and black round neck jumper, a check shirt and dark blue T-shirt.

De Havilland was interviewed by detectives at Abingdon police station yesterday before being charged with indecently assaulting the then-11-year-old. He was also charged with kidnapping both girls and two counts of incitement to commit gross indecency.

He was held in police custody overnight and was due to appear before magistrates – probably in Oxford – today.

Det Supt Barry Halliday, who heads the major crime review team, said both women, who are now in their late 30s, had been told of the arrest.

He added: “Both victims are fully supportive of our action and are reassured by the work my team have carried out.”

Yesterday Didcot mayor Margaret Turner said she remembered the “shock” at the time of the attack. She said: “I remember when it happened and how it affected the town. It must have been awful for the girls knowing that nobody had ever been arrested for the attack.

“You can only imagine how they have struggled over the years.”

Fred Johns, 79, of Cavendish Park, said: “It was a disgusting crime. It must have been very traumatic for the girls and it’s good that the police are still working on the case.”

The review team is re-examining every unsolved murder over the past 50 years and unsolved serious sex attacks in the past 30 years.

Mr Halliday added: “Thames Valley Police remain committed to the careful review and re-investigation of unsolved historic serious sexual assault and homicide cases.

“We have always re-examined unsolved crimes and a dedicated team of experts analyse and assess the cases, applying, where appropriate, new police powers and advances in technology and forensic science.”