Men arrested in Leeds as part of ongoing abuse allegations in Rotherham

A total of 10 men have been arrested in various locations across this week as part of investigations into the allegations of sexual abuse in the town 20 years ago.

The men, who are aged between 35 and 53, were questioned over the sexual abuse of four girls who were aged between 11 and 16 at the time of the allegations.

They have been released while investigations continue.

It follows the arrests of five men in Rotherham and Leeds last month which were also made in connection with the investigation.

A sixth person was also detained last week.

The National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood investigation into the abuse has now arrested 150 people.

A total of 20 people have been convicted of child sexual exploitation offences and jailed for a total of nearly 250 years.

Philip Marshall, senior investigating officer, said: “This has been a significant week of operational activity and, working closely with local partners in Rotherham and across Yorkshire, we continue to focus on supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice as part of Operation Stovewood.

“While that work goes on it is important we still reach out and appeal to victims or witnesses to come forward.

“We’re interested in speaking to anyone who might have information to help investigations into child sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

“They should know that we will support them and they can speak to us in the strictest of confidence.”

A message from the Editor: Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds. Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins