Claude Donnelly, of St Brelade, Jersey, was charged with assaulting the girl between 1971 and 1974 on the Channel Island.

He was also charged with gross indecency and will appear before magistrates in St Helier.

The charges were made by police investigating alleged abuse at the Haut de la Garenne children's home on the island but officers said the charges did not relate directly to the home.

They are instead part of the wider inquiry into alleged abuse of children on the island.

The charge sheet states the alleged rape took place at Roseville Street, St Helier between March 1971 and March 1972, against the 12-year-old, identified as Witness A.

Donnelly is alleged to have indecently assaulted the same girl between March 1971 and March 1974 when she was aged between 12 and 15.

The third charge claims the man made the girl carry out an act of gross indecency on him between the same dates. Police said Donnelly had reserved his plea to the charges.

It is understood detectives have an arrest warrant for another man who is a former employee at Haut de la Garenne. They are hoping to make their next arrest in the next week.

Deputy police chief Lenny Harper confirmed that his officers are investigating about 40 suspects.