The accused are alleged to have committed these crimes between 2016 and 2018, mainly in the Blackrod and Adlington areas of Bolton, Greater Manchester. The arrests were made following investigations by Greater Manchester Police, who launched Operation Pavarotti to investigate allegations of child sexual exploitation in the area.

The accused men were brought into court in groups of three or four for brief hearings at Bolton Magistrates’ Court, where no pleas were entered. They were all bailed until May 10 and have been given strict bail conditions, which include not having contact with any female under the age of 16, not contacting any complainants in the case, not contacting any co-accused, and not attending a specified address in the area. They must also live at their home address, which has been given to the police.

The charges brought against the men are serious and include offences such as causing/inciting sexual activity with a child, rape of a female under the age of 16, sexual activity with a female under the age of 16, and sexual assault of a female under the age of 16.

The accused men have been named as Ashley Darbyshire, Harvie Aspden, Cory Barrett, Daniel Flatters, Jack Poulson, Jamie Fitzgerald, Elliott Turner, Ross Corley, Brandon Harwood, Richard Haslam, Michael Linfoot, Thomas Rae, and Callum Hesketh.