Two people have this morning been arrested by police investigating sexual crimes against teenage girls going back more than twenty years
A 54-year-old Altrincham man was arrested on suspicion of the non-recent serious sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16.
At the same time, two other warrants were executed in Heald Green and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, led by the force’s TAU team, resulting in the arrest of a 52-year-old man, for the same offence.
These arrests were carried out by the Force CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation) Team, who are a unit dedicated to bringing those to justice who are believed to have been involved in serious sexual assault of girls under the age of 16, in the early 2000’s.
As part of Operation Green Jacket – GMP’s response to child sexual exploitation between 2002 – 2005 – these latest arrests, under code name Operation Cheetah, have come as the result of a painstaking investigation by the team.
DS Simon France of the CSE team said: “We are pleased with today’s arrests. Our team works extremely hard to investigate non-recent serious sexual offences against girls under the age of 16, to ensure the perpetrators are arrested, charged and dealt with by the courts.
“Although 20 years have passed since the offences, our team are dedicated to ensuring that victims of this kind of horrific abuse are seen and heard, making sure they receive justice.
“These young girls are now women with their own lives and families, and we commend their bravery in coming forward and talking us through events, which are extremely painful for them to relive, in order for us to build a successful case.
“If you believe you are a victim of non-recent sexual abuse, then we urge you to contact our team on 0161 856 8259, via 101 or by using our LiveChat function on our website, www.gmp.police.uk.
“Often with these kind of cases victims are reluctant to come forwards as they think they will not be taken seriously. My response to that is we will listen to you, and you will be believed.”
