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Footballers charged for sex offences

Four professional footballers, including a Bournemouth player, have been charged with sexual assault and voyeurism.

Three Brighton players and one Bournemouth player were arrested in January after a woman made an allegation of sexual assault in Brighton on July 17 last year.

Sussex Police said George Barker, 20, of Highview Avenue North, Brighton, Lewis Dunk, 20, of Woodbourne Avenue, Brighton, and Anton Rodgers, 19, of Highview Avenue North, Brighton, who all play for Brighton, and former team-mate Steve Cook, 21, of Perth Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, who now plays for Bournemouth, have all been bailed to appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court on May 11.

The biggest name is defender Dunk (pictured), who has made 31 Championship appearances this season and has been linked with several Premier League clubs.

They are all charged with one count each of sexual assault and one of voyeurism.

A 19-year-old man, from Brighton, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault at the same time, has been advised that no further action will be taken against him, the force added.

Police arrested five players from Championship side Brighton and one from League One side Bournemouth early on January 19.

Brighton defender Tommy Elphick, 24, who was one of six players arrested by detectives from the Surrey and Sussex major crime team, was eliminated from police inquiries the following day and was told no further action would be taken against him.