Neil Beckett: School welfare officer to stand trial on sex charges
- Published
Neil Beckett pictured outside Laganside Courts in June
A school welfare officer who is accused of sexually assaulting 11 girls will go on trial in February.
Neil Beckett, 43, a health and wellbeing officer at Lagan College in south Belfast, faces a total of 27 charges - 25 of sexual assault and two of sexual communication with a child.
Mr Beckett, of Kilmore, near Crossgar, County Down, denies the charges.
The alleged offences relate to various dates between September 2018 and February this year.
Appearing before Belfast Crown Court on Friday morning, he pleaded not guilty to all 27 charges.
Suspended leave
A three-week trial has been scheduled to begin on 26 February, with a pre-trial review of the case in January.
Bail conditions set previously include a ban on contact with anyone under the age of 16 unless approved by social services.
Mr Beckett was also prohibited from contacting staff at Lagan College in relation to the case.
A previous court heard that he is on "suspended leave".