A police constable and 15 other men have appeared in court today charged with offences relating to historical sex offences against children.

Amjad Ditta, 35, showed no emotion as he briefly appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court today.

He is a policeman for West Yorkshire Police's protective services but was suspended from duty at the time he was charged, the force said.

PC Ditta faces a single charge of sexual touching in March 2009, when he was a serving officer.

He and the other 15 men were granted bail and will appear at Bradford Crown Court on January 20.

The charges they face relate to alleged offences against three teenage girls in Halifax between 2006 and 2009. The alleged victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time.

Amjad Ditta, 35, works for West Yorkshire Police and is accused of one count of sexual touching a girl aged between 13 and 16 in 2009

Ditta, who wore a black suit and tie, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth during the hearing, and gave his surname as Hussain.

District Judge Charlotte Holland said that the alleged offences were 'too serious' to be dealt with by the magistrates' court and that it was necessary for them to be heard at crown court instead.

Those who appeared on Monday, who are all from Halifax, are:

Two of the other defendants, Nadeem Adalat (left) and Vaseem Adalat (centre) leave Bradford Crown Court today

Sajid Adalat, 43, who is charged with rape, is pictured making a rude gesture outside Bradford Crown Court today

Ditta, who is charged with sexual touching

Vaqaas Abbas, 30, is charged with three counts of rape and three of supplying a class C drug

Nadeem Adalat, 34, faces four charges of rape and four of supply of a class C drug

Sajid Adalat, 43, is charged with rape

Waseem Adalat, 33, charged with two counts of rape, trafficking and supply of a class C drug

Christopher Eastwood, 45, charged with two counts of rape and two counts of supply of a class C drug

Mahtab Islam, 46, charged with five counts of rape, three of supplying a class A drug, three of supplying a class C drug, two of sexual assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 34, is charged with rape

Ishtiaq Latif, 32, is charged with sexual activity with a child

Asad Mahmood, 33, is charged with two counts of rape and trafficking

Khalifa Mughal, 36, is charged with six counts of rape, supply of a class C drug, supply of a class A drug and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

Younis Mohammed, 34, is charged with rape and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

Nadeem Nassir, 39, is charged with rape, supply of a class C drug and making threats to kill

Shahzad Nowaz, 40, is charged with rape, supply of a class C drug and making threats to kill

Shazad Nazir, 44, charged with two counts of rape and two of supply of a class C drug

Sohail Zafar, 36, charged with rape and supplying a class C drug.