Rotherham child sex abuse: Three men arrested
- Published
The National Crime Agency is investigating allegations of non-familial sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of rape as part of an investigation into historical allegations of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
A 33-year-old man and two 34-year-olds were arrested as part of the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood.
All three men, from Rotherham, have been released under investigation.
Operation Stovewood began in 2014 after it emerged at least 1,400 children were abused in the town from 1997 to 2013.
What is Operation Stovewood?
is the largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual exploitation in the UK.
It is run by the National Crime Agency, which is working with 296 alleged victims, has identified 151 suspects and is running 22 ongoing investigations.
More than 150 officers work on the operation and there are plans to recruit another 100.
It is jointly funded by South Yorkshire Police and the Home Office and when up to full strength will cost £15m a year to run.
It has led to 14 convictions so far, and 24 more people have been charged with offences.