Seven men have been arrested at addresses across Greater Manchester and Cheshire as part of a complex child sexual exploitation investigation.
As part of Greater Manchester Police (GMP)’s pursuit of suspected non-recent child sex offenders in our region, particularly in relation to the exploitation of teenage children in Manchester city centre in the early 2000s, officers executed warrants at nine addresses in Manchester, Stockport, and Wilmslow this week, and proceeded to arrest seven people.
The seven suspects are aged between 41 and 54, and they have been arrested on suspicion of various offences – including rape, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity relating to a girl aged under 16.
The arrests form part of GMP’s dedicated investigation, ‘Operation Green Jacket’, which is led by its Child Sexual Exploitation Major Incident Team, in partnership with Manchester City Council, and so far, a total of 64 suspects have been detained and interviewed since the investigation was launched back in early May 2019.
Seven men have been arrested in Greater Manchester as part of an investigation into child sexual exploitation in the early 2000s / Credit: Greater Manchester Police
Earlier this month, the first suspect charged as part of this investigation appeared in court accused of six offences against two teenage girls between May 2004 and February 2005, and GMP says its specialist detectives continue to “relentlessly pursue all available lines of enquiry” to bring long-awaited justice for survivors.
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“We will not allow the passage of time to become a barrier in the pursuit of justice,” GMP insisted.
DI Humphreys: “Despite the passage of time, this investigation will not go away until offenders are held responsible for their appalling actions.
“We are clear when we say that in Greater Manchester, time is no barrier to justice.”https://t.co/gi5x7GTC3C
Speaking following the arrests this week, Detective Inspector Eleanor Humphreys, who is the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Green Jacket, commented: “This action is just the latest part of our wide-ranging investigation into the shocking abuse that young children were being subjected to in south Manchester in the early 2000s.
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“Despite the passage of time, this investigation will not go away until offenders are held responsible for their appalling actions.
“We are clear when we say that in Greater Manchester, time is no barrier to justice.
“We are doing everything in our power to support survivors and work at a pace they are comfortable with, to listen to them and to ensure that suspects are identified, traced, and brought into custody.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Emily Sergeant -
26th September 2024 
