Bradford men arrested as part of Rotherham child sex abuse investigation

Two Bradford men have been arrested today by National Crime Agency officers.

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arrested the men in connection with Operation Stovewood this morning.

The investigation is focusing on reports of non-familial child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The pair, who were arrested at separate addresses in Bradford, have been taken to a police station in South Yorkshire. They will be interviewed by NCA Officers.

Both were arrested on suspicion of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The offences are believed to have taken place against two girls, aged 16 and 17.

No further information about those arrested is being provided.

Operation Stovewood has now made a total of nine arrests and currently has 34 designated suspects.

It has prioritised making contact with 114 victims and survivors so far.

There are now 13 distinct investigations within the overall investigation, eight of them large-scale.