Seven men arrested in Greater Manchester as part of investigation into child sexual exploitation in early 2000s

  1. Home
  2. Cheshire

Man being arrested as part of 'Operation Green Jacket' / Credit: Greater Manchester Police

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.

“We will not allow the passage of time to become a barrier in the pursuit of justice,” GMP insisted.

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.

“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.

Read more:

“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