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Former football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said. Bennell, a youth coach who worked for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City, Stoke City and several junior teams in northwest England and the Midlands, was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994. In 1998, he was given a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England. On Tuesday, a CPS spokesperson said: "On Sep. 27 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service received a file of evidence from Cheshire Police relating to allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse involving a former football coach, Barry Bennell. "Following a review of the evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Mr. Bennell has today been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14." The CPS said Bennell was due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court next month. On Monday it was reported that the 62-year-old had been taken to the hospital after police responded to a "fear for welfare incident" at an address in Stevenage on Friday night. Earlier this month, former Crewe player Andy Woodward waived his anonymity to speak about the abuse he suffered from Bennell. That led to a number of other former footballers coming forward to make further allegations of abuse. More than 20 former players have come forward with allegations of historical child abuse, prompting the Football Association to step up its review. On Sunday, the FA instructed independent leading counsel Kate Gallafent to oversee an internal review assessing "what information the FA was aware of at the relevant times, what clubs were aware of, and what action was or should have been taken." Her recommendations will be considered, but the FA accepts that a full, wide-ranging inquiry may yet be necessary. Chelsea have also started an investigation into allegations of historical sexual abuse by a person employed in the 1970 by the club, who has since passed away. A statement read: "Chelsea Football Club has retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now deceased. "The club has also contacted The FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation. This will include providing The FA with any relevant information arising out of the club's investigation."
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