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Rolf Harris expunged from British chivalrous order after sex assault conviction

By Aileen Graef

LONDON, March 3 (UPI) -- Rolf Harris was stripped of his title as Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire after his sexual assault conviction.

Harris was convicted of indecent assault charges against four girls between the ages of 8 and 19 from incidents occurring between 1968 and 1986. Buckingham Palace announced the revocation of his honor Tuesday in the London Gazette.

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"The Queen has directed that the appointment of Rolf Harris to be a Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 17 June 2006, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order."

Harris, a TV presenter, was given the honor by the queen in 2006, a year after he painted Queen Elizabeth's birthday portrait.

Seven of the 12 counts against him involved his daughter's friend, including one assault when she was 15 during which his daughter was asleep in the same room.

Harris was jailed in July. An initial application to appeal was refused in October, and his deadline to apply passed in December.

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