Five men arrested over alleged sex offences against teenage girls in Rotherham

A man from Bradford and another from Derby - both in their 20s - were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on Tuesday on suspicion of rape. Both have been questioned and released under investigation.

Three further arrests were made today (Thursday) of two men in Rotherham and one in Sheffield on suspicion of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

The three men are all in their thirties.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Stovewood - the continued investigation into the sexual abuse of girls in the South Yorkshire town between 1997 and 2013.

Philip Marshall, senior investigating officer for Operation Stovewood, said: “This was a significant piece of activity as we seek to identify and bring offenders to justice as part of Operation Stovewood.

“Sexual violence and abuse can take many forms and affects all communities.

“We encourage all victims to come forward and give their accounts in the knowledge they will be listened to, they will be taken seriously and their needs will be supported throughout.

“I would like to thank our partners and communities across Rotherham and South Yorkshire for their support and engagement as we seek justice and build public confidence in our work.”

Stovewood is the single largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual abuse (CSA) in the UK, according to the NCA.