Another Man Arrested in Shocking Historic Child Sex Abuse Probe
A 39-year-old man with no fixed address handed himself in yesterday. He’s been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and rape of a child aged 13 to 15. The alleged crimes date back to around 2007.
Operation Green Jacket: Cracking Down on Child Sexual Exploitation
Operation Green Jacket was launched in 2017 after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham ordered a review of how agencies respond to child sexual exploitation (CSE) across the region. Since then, the operation has led to 31 arrests, with another 13 arrests made under Operation Bridgewater.
Manchester City Council backs the operation fully, dedicating significant staff resources to work alongside Greater Manchester Police (GMP). They continue to review every detail to ensure no stone is left unturned.
Other Major Investigations Making Headway
- Operation Sherwood targets offences in Oldham between 2011 and 2014.
- Operation Lytton focuses on crimes in Rochdale from 2002 to 2006. It began before Mayor Burnham’s review.
Operation Lytton is already cracking down hard. In 2023, eight defendants will face trial, charged with 82 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child, and gross indecency.
Force Grows to Bring More Perpetrators to Justice
The CSE Unit is expanding, aiming to boost officers and staff from 85 to 106 next year. This shows their fierce commitment to tracking down offenders.
“Yesterday’s arrests are further proof of the excellent work our team is doing to pursue perpetrators and get justice for victims, no matter how long ago the crimes happened,” said Detective Superintendent Dave Kehoe, head of GMP’s CSE Unit.
“These investigations are incredibly complex and depend heavily on brave victims coming forward. We’re eternally grateful to the many women who have stepped up to help identify, arrest, and charge these offenders.”
“Reliving these horrific events is distressing, but their courage is commendable. Since Operation Green Jacket began, we’ve worked closely with local councils to provide a sharp multi-agency response. Just because these crimes happened years ago doesn’t mean justice won’t catch up.”
“We have many ongoing investigations aiming to take more positive action in 2023.”
Paul Marshall, Strategic Director for Children’s Services at Manchester City Council, added: “Operation Green Jacket shows how tackling child sexual exploitation has been drastically strengthened. GMP and the Council are united in protecting children and pursuing offenders. I commend the work happening to bring justice to victims, especially in historic cases like these.”
