Traditional musician Francis McPeake, 71, on child sex charges 3 October 2013 Last updated at 16:40 A Belfast judge has lifted reporting restrictions in the case of a well-known traditional musician and music teacher charged with child sex abuse. Francis McPeake, 71, is facing 12 charges of sexually abusing a child under the age of 16 from 2009 to 2010. The accused had tried to have his identity protected due to fears his life was at risk. He fled his home in the Markets area of Belfast last month after a mob of up to 60 people gathered outside. Riot police had to disperse the crowd, who had arrived after details of the case against him appeared in a Sunday newspaper and on the social networking site Facebook. The offences of which he is accused allegedly took place in Belfast and the Republic of Ireland. They include counts of sexual activity outside the UK and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. All of them involve the same girl, who was aged under 16 at the relevant times. A temporary ban on identifying Mr McPeake was imposed when he first appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court, to allow his legal team time to seek a full prohibition. Defence lawyers then argued that naming their client would breach his rights to life and freedom from torture, punishment and inhuman treatment. It was claimed that Mr McPeake is different from other defendants because he is so well-known. The district judge accepted there would be a real and immediate risk to his life were he to return to his home address. But she refused to grant full reporting restrictions on the basis that he has now moved to a different, unidentified location. In a ruling given on Tuesday, the district judge said: "The evidence before me suggests the threat has come from the defendant's immediate locality. There is no verifiable or objective evidence that the level of threat would be replicated if he were to reside elsewhere. Pointing out that Mr McPeake has already been named in print and social media coverage, she added that the "identity of the defendant is obviously well-known in the Markets area." In those circumstances it's likely those who are likely to pose a verifiable threat to the defendant already know his identity. Therefore publishing his name will not materially increase the threat to the defendant. Mr McPeake's lawyers were given until Thursday to decide whether to mount a High Court challenge to Tuesday's ruling. It was confirmed in court on Thursday, however, that no further challenge was being pursued. Mr McPeake, whose new address cannot be revealed, then entered the dock for a preliminary enquiry hearing. With his family members in the public gallery, he declined to give evidence or call witnesses at this stage in the case. The judge granted a prosecution application to have him returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed. He was released on continuing bail of £500 to live at an address known to police and to appear for trial at a date to be fixed.