Twenty arrested in police op

TWENTY men have been arrested in a pre-planned police operation following allegations of sex abuse committed against one child.

The three-day operation was carried out by West Yorkshire Police between Monday and Thursday this week. Officers searched a number of homes in Calderdale, as well as two in Kirklees, in connection with the allegations.

The men, aged between 28 and 43, were questioned and have all since been released, either on bail or pending further investigation.

The investigation comes from allegations made by one woman of sexual abuse committed against her predominantly in the Halifax area when she was a child between 2006 and 2009. All men have been interviewed and since released. Two of them are on police bail while the rest remain under investigation.

Det Insp Allan Raw, of Calderdale District Safeguarding, said: “This investigation forms part of West Yorkshire Police’s commitment to the investigation of both current and non-recent sexual offences against children. These are abhorrent crimes that affect the most vulnerable in our society.

“Protecting children and ensuring that victims are put at the heart of everything we do and continues to be a top priority for the force. We have specialist safeguarding units in each of our five policing districts, which include officers dedicated to dealing with both current and non-recent child sexual exploitation.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, no matter when it took place, to report it to the police. Please be assured that you will be listened to, taken seriously and supported by professionals with experience of dealing with these kind of offences.”