MANCHESTER — Minshull Street Crown Court lifted reporting restrictions on the identities of 13 men charged alongside a man accused of drugging and raping his wife. All except one defendant are scheduled to stand trial in September.

The main defendant, in his 60s and from the Stockport area of Greater Manchester, has pleaded guilty to five rapes, three sexual assaults, six assaults by penetration, and one count of sharing intimate images without consent. His identity cannot be revealed to protect his wife's anonymity. He denies 33 other charges and is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting his wife over 20 years while conspiring with other men to engage in abuse.

The co-defendants range in age from 28 to 73. They face charges including conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration. Some are alleged to have directly participated in the abuse, while others are alleged to have encouraged sexual offences online.

Keith Fortheringham, 59, of Dundee, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Fortheringham, a technician at a university in Dundee, was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

Jonathan Kirk, 43, a senior paramedic from Stockport, has denied charges of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, and rape. Philip Wild, 58, a taxi driver from Stockport, has denied five charges including conspiracy to rape, sexual assault, and attempted rape. Sean Peers, 37, from Stockport, has denied charges of assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration. Jordan Wallace, 31, a dog walker from Manchester, has denied charges of rape, attempted rape, and conspiracy to rape. Alan Keelan, 42, who coached at a junior football club in Manchester until his arrest, has denied conspiracy to rape and two counts of rape.

Robert Stewart, 70, a DJ from Stockport, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to rape and two counts of rape. Mohammed Sabir, 28, a recruiter, has denied charges including conspiracy to rape and three counts of rape. Graham Brougham, 73, from Cheshire, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, and rape. Richard Townsend, 37, a metal worker from Heywood in Greater Manchester, pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration.

Karl Lindsay, 55, from Taunton, has denied charges including conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Lindsay was the chief executive of Taunton Town FC but resigned following his arrest. David Graves, 59, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Daniel Rayner, 42, from Whitstable in Kent, has denied three charges: conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.

Five of the defendants are on bail, and the remainder are in custody. All 13 men, with the exception of Keith Fortheringham, are scheduled to begin their trial in September at Minshull Street Crown Court.