Disgraced Children’s TV Entertainer Rolf Harris Dies At 93

LONDON, England – Rolf Harris, the renowned comedian whose decades-long career as a family favorite on British and Australian television was shattered when he was found guilty of sexually assaulting young girls, has died. He was 93.

Rolf Harris “died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest,” according to a statement given by the family on Tuesday. It didn’t go into specifics.

Harris, who had a hit single with “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport,” was adored by generations of youngsters for his cheery on-screen attitude and was so well-liked in the United Kingdom that he was once awarded the unusual distinction of painting a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

But his half-century-long television career ended in 2013 when he was arrested in Britain on sexual assault claims.

Many people were taken aback when Harris was found guilty in July 2014 of 12 charges of indecent assault on four young girls from the 1960s to the 1980s. Prosecutors claimed he had a “Jekyll and Hyde” demeanor and exploited his victims because of his celebrity.

Among the victims was Rolf Harris’ daughter’s classmate, who said Rolf Harris assaulted her from 13 to 19. Harris claimed their bond was mutual, and his family and friends stood by him throughout the trial.

However, a jury found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to five years and nine months in jail.

Rolf Harris died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

Harris was granted a license in May of 2017. He was also cleared of four unrelated sex offenses he disputed the previous month. Later that year, one of his 12 indecent assault convictions was reversed by the Court of Appeal.

Harris had a successful 60-year career as a television presenter, singer, and artist. He was best known for his children’s television shows “Rolf’s Cartoon Time” and “Animal Hospital,” he had several hit songs in the 1960s.

Born in 1930, Harris grew up in a Perth suburb and was an award-winning swimmer as a teenager. After several fruitless attempts at art school, Harris began his television career in 1952 with a spot on a BBC show.

In addition to anchoring children’s shows such as “Rolf’s Cartoon Club,” Harris was known in the 1960s for recording popular songs such as “Two Little Boys,” which became a No. 1 Christmas smash in the United Kingdom.

Many considered him a national treasure by the 2000s: the queen sat for a picture he painted in 2005 to commemorate her 80th birthday, and the painting was displayed at Buckingham Palace. In 2012, he also performed at a concert outside the palace commemorating the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee.

Rolf Harris was deprived of numerous honors bestowed upon him following his conviction, including appointments to the Order of the British Empire and the Order of Australia. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which characterized Harris as “one of the world’s most iconic entertainers,” said that his fellowship would be withdrawn.

Rolf Harris withdrew from public life after his release and spent his time at his house in Berkshire, southern England.

SOURCE – (AP)