Watkins, 35, who is accused of 24 sex offences including the rape of a baby, will stand trial in Cardiff at the end of the year

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins will stand trial accused of baby rape and 22 other sex offences at the end of the year.

A judge set 25 November as a trial date for the rock singer at a hearing at Cardiff crown court, south Wales, on Thursday.

Watkins, 35, from Pontypridd, Wales, appeared at the hearing via video-link from Parc prison, Bridgend and was told he would be on trial for up to four weeks. Judge Eleri Rees, the Cardiff recorder, denied an attempt by the defence to switch the trial to a location outside Wales.

Watkins appeared in a plea hearing at the same court on Monday when he denied 24 separate sex offences. Among them were two counts of raping a baby, one of conspiracy to rape a child and one of conspiracy to sexually assault a child. He also denies charges of sexually assaulting a baby and aiding and abetting a woman to sexually assault a baby.

Two women, aged 20 and 24, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will also stand trial with Watkins. One of the women has admitted the sexual touching of a baby, one count of taking indecent photographs and one of distributing photographs of a child. A jury will be told about her three guilty pleas at the opening of the trial.

Watkins, whose band has sold more than 3.5m albums, also faces charges for possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children. He is also accused of possessing an extreme image depicting a person having sex with an animal. The oldest of the alleged offences dates to 2007.

One of the two women also appeared by video-link; the other was absent. The three defendants are collectively accused of 32 offences.

Judge Rees adjourned proceedings until 12 August for a case-management hearing at the same court. All three suspects remain remanded in custody.