Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.
Westwood, 68, of Westminster, faces allegations spanning more than three decades, with the allegations said to involve 17-year-old girls and women in their late teens and early 20s.
The 68-year-old is set to face court for the first time next month after the Crown Prosecution Service announced that he faces a total of 15 charges.
He has been charged with nine counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexual assault, and four counts of rape.
“The CPS has today announced Tim Westwood has been charged with rape and sexual offences”, the CPS said.
“These relate to reported non-recent offences between 1983 and 2016, involving seven women.”
Westwood is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 10.
The charges come after a lengthy Metropolitan police investigation into the DJ, who was once one of BBC Radio 1’s biggest stars.
In a statement on the charges, Scotland Yard said Westwood is accused of indecently assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Fulham in 1983, and sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in Vauxhall, south London in 1986.
He is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a teenager aged 17-18 in central London in the mid-90s, and raping and sexually assaulting another teen of the same age between 2000 and 2001.
The Met said Westwood is accused of raping a woman in her 20s in 2010 in London, allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in Stroud in the same year, and sexually assaulting another woman in her 20s in Finchley, north London in 2016.
The charges came after a joint investigation by the BBC and Guardian accused Westwood of inappropriate behaviour, which he denied.
Westwood stepped down from his show at Capital Xtra in the wake of the claims.
The hip-hop DJ has previously strongly denied "all allegations of inappropriate behaviour" and wrongdoing.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature. The women who have done so have put their trust in us and we continue to provide them with all available support.
“Our investigation remains open and we’d encourage anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak with us. A dedicated team of investigators is available via email at CIT@met.police.uk. Any reports will be dealt with in the strictest confidence by specialist officers.
“Support is also available by contacting the independent charity, Rape Crisis at 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.”
Westwood began his career as a DJ in the early 1980s, performing at clubs and pirate radio stations in London. He gained prominence on LWR, Kiss FM and Capital Radio, where he helped to introduce UK listeners to emerging hip-hop acts from both sides of the Atlantic.
He has been credited with championing UK rap and grime, giving early exposure to artists such as Skepta, Stormzy, and Giggs.
Westwood joined the BBC in 1994 and became the first DJ to host a dedicated rap show on the network. He left in 2013.
He has won a number of MOBO awards and hosted the UK version of MTV’s Pimp My Ride.
In 1999, Westwood, who is the son of former Anglican Bishop of Peterborough Bill Westwood, was seriously hurt in a drive-by shooting.
