The victims have shown enormous courage and without their support in what has been a difficult investigation, we would not be here today.

Operation Doublet was launched following the 2011 investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and we identified a number of cases, which broadly took place between 2004 and 2008, across Greater Manchester where teenage girls had been sexually exploited by older men.

Working with our partners we have been able to identify vulnerable people and tackle CSE in a way that puts the victim’s wellbeing at the centre of all we do and I’d particularly like to pay tribute to DC Fitzsimons in driving this case forwards on behalf of the victims.”

We made a commitment to bring perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice and today is yet another illustration of that promise being realised.