DOZENS of people are awaiting trial for a series of historic child sexual exploitation cases in the district – a report has revealed.

There are currently 37 suspects due to stand trial due to investigations by West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Dalesway – set up to look at grooming incidents in the Bradford area.

A report looking at what has been done to protect children in over the past year also reveals that there are 14 separate investigations into historic CSE currently underway – with five having been opened in the 12-month period.

But after years spent investigating dozens of cases, police believe the number of newly reported cases is “levelling off” – and that many of the larger grooming gangs have already been sentenced.

Members of Bradford Council’s Executive will be given an update on work by the Bradford District Safeguarding Children Partnership at a meeting on Tuesday.

They will hear that in the past year eight people investigated through Operation Dalesway have been handed prison sentences totalling 90 years.

The report also highlights the work being done to tackle online grooming – an crime that has become more widespread since the Covid 19 lockdown.

In the past decade Bradford has been rocked by a number of grooming scandals – with horrific details of how vulnerable young girls and boys were treated recounted at numerous different trials.

The report to the Council’s Executive says: “There are currently 14 live complex non-recent CSE investigations underway in Bradford District under the policing operational name of Operation Dalesway.

“These are at various stages, from initial scoping to awaiting trial.

“Since the last report, two investigations have been finalised, one re-opened, and five started.

“Initial scoping of the new investigations suggests that they will be smaller in scale than earlier ones, with fewer suspects involved.

“Since the last report, eight offenders have been sentenced to 90 years in prison.

“There are currently 37 suspects charged and due to stand trial.”

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The report says West Yorkshire Police has a dedicated team to both deal with perpetrators and support victims bringing their cases to court, and have increased their safeguarding resources in recent years.

Referring to the likelihood of more incidents coming to light in the near future, the report says: “While it is hard to predict future demand (for Operation Dalesway), the West Yorkshire Police Force Management Statement forecasts that demand is levelling off.

“Although the number of open investigations has increased over the last period, the new investigations look to be of a smaller scale.

“A number of the open investigations are listed for trial or are already well advanced – most of the work in these investigations has been completed.

“Police do not see a significant new wave of reports, but as the threat has evolved and changed over time, the emergence of new demand cannot be ruled out.”

One “evolving threat” is referred to later in the report.

West Yorkshire Police also has a “cyber” team – set up in 2015 to deal with people who target children online, and works closely with schools to make children more aware of the dangers of the online world where people can easily lie about their age and background to trick children into trusting them.

The team, called the Polit Team, has dealt with 220 offenders in Bradford in the past year alone.

Detailing the work of the team, the report says: “Child sexual abuse and exploitation continue to be identified across the District. This is particularly true of online abuse wherever-more-sophisticated digital tools protect anonymity and where apps encourage children to engage in risky behaviour.

“This has been the subject of increased concern when the district was in increased lockdown due to Covid-19, where children isolated at home are at an even higher risk of being targeted by online groomers for abuse.

“Law enforcement agencies, including the Police, are working with partners from the industry and voluntary sector partners, both in the UK and abroad, to raise awareness and support children and parents.

“Bradford Polit Team has successfully executed 120 warrants in the last year.

“They have also dealt with over 220 offenders in the Bradford District for various child sexual offences.”