A 54-year-old Altrincham man was arrested today in connection with the historic serious sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Force CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation) Team carried out a dawn raid at the home of the man this morning.
Two other warrants were executed at the same time in Heald Green and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, resulting in the arrest of a 52-year-old man, for the same offence.
The offence allegedly took place in the early 2000s.
The arrests form part of Operation Green Jacket, GMP’s response to child sexual exploitation between 2002 and 2005.
These latest arrests, under code name Operation Cheetah, have come as the result of a “painstaking” investigation.
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.”
