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Rape charge in Scott murder

NSW Police have charged Vincent Stanford, the man accused of murdering Leeton teacher Stephanie Scott, with sexually assaulting the woman before her death in April.

Ms Scott disappeared on April 5, about one week before she was due to marry her fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley. Three days later school cleaner Vincent Stanford was arrested and later charged with murdering the 26-year-old teacher.

Her body was found in bushland five days after she was last seen at Leeton High School.

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Stanford, 24, was charged on Wednesday with the aggravated sexual assault and inflicting actual bodily harm on Ms Scott on the same day as her alleged murder, the ABC reported.

Police allege the assault occurred between 1.40pm and 2pm on April 5.

He is due to appear in Griffith Local Court via audio video link on Thursday.

Stanford was arrested at his Leeton home after police found blood and a camera containing photographs of a burnt body, allegedly in his car.

The day before Ms Scott was due to marry her fiance in a country wedding at Eugowra, police found her body dumped and burned in Cocoparra National Park, 70km from Leeton.

Her death prompted a outpouring of grief in the Riverina region, stretching from her workplace, Leeton High School, to her home town of Canowindra, where she met Mr Leeson-Woolley.

with AAP

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