Magistrates' Court against a 41-year-old Southampton man.

The man -- who cannot be named due to legal restrictions -- was charged during an unlisted 2.15 p.m. court appearance with sexually assaulting a woman last autumn.

The private prosecution came after the Attorney General's Chambers decided not to take any action against the man following a Police investigation into allegations made against him by the woman.

Private prosecutions are an unusual legal procedure where clients engage a lawyer to act on their behalf after the state prosecutors, in Bermuda the Attorney General's Chambers, have not proceeded with a case.

Lawyer Saul Froomkin, representing the woman, said the private action was launched "because the Attorney General's Chambers and I don't agree''.

The man, who is represented by lawyer Marc Telemaque, will be tried on July 6.