A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child when in a position of trust and misconduct in a public office.
The man, who is employed by Manchester City Council’s Children’s Social Care, and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
He was arrested as part of Operation Green Jacket which was set-up with the aim of identifying, supporting and safeguarding victims of child sexual exploitation whilst identifying offenders and bringing them to justice, regardless of whether the offences are historic or current.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said: “Following the peer review commissioned by GMP, it’s been recognised that Operation Green Jacket is progressing significantly and I am encouraged by the strength and approach adopted by the force.
“It’s important that police forces continue to work together to tackle child sexual exploitation and a lot can be learned from this Operation Hydrant peer review. In order to continue to protect and support children across the country, Op Hydrant allows national best practice to be shared nationally with all police forces.
“Policing will always explore different avenues and opportunities to ensure that children are protected as much as possible. It is challenging and equally important that forces commit sufficient resources to support victims and pursue suspects, the set-up of Operation Green Jacket is effectively addressing both these issues.”
Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain, said: “This operation remains a top priority for GMP with officers doing everything they can to provide victims of child sexual exploitation with appropriate support from specialist agencies and continuing to work to bring offenders to justice.
“The landscape of policing is undoubtedly challenging at the moment in light of the global pandemic, Operation Green Jacket has continued during this unprecedented period and remains very active with a team of dedicated detectives within our Major Incident Team working alongside partners every day to identify and support victims.
“We are completely committed to ensuring victims receive the right support and as a result of detectives meticulously reviewing historic files and pursuing new lines of enquiry, the scope of the investigation has grown with officers engaging with a significant number of victims and assessing a number of suspects.
“Whilst we have made an arrest, our investigation is continuing and I would encourage anyone affected by the case, requiring support or with information that could assist our investigation to get in touch via the dedicated email address.”
