Thirteen men appear in court charged with serious child grooming sex offences
More than a dozen men have appeared in court charged with serious child grooming sex offences.
The 13 men, aged between 21 and 34, are accused of a number of offences against multiple girls aged between 14 and 17.
The offences are alleged to have happened between 2016 and 2018, mainly in the Blackrod and Adlington areas of Bolton.
The men were brought into court in groups of three or four for brief hearings at Bolton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 4 April.
Peter Williams, prosecuting, told magistrates the alleged offences were serious and needed to be dealt with before a judge at a crown court.
No pleas were entered and all 13 were bailed until 10 May, where they will appear at Bolton Crown Court.
The bail conditions are not have contact with a female under 16, not to contact any complainants in the case, not to contact any co-accused and not to attend a specified address in the area.
All must also live at their home address, given to the police.
They were arrested following Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launching Operation Pavarotti, the force’s investigation into child sexual exploitation allegations in the area.
Who has been charged?
Ashley Darbyshire, 26, of Westhoughton, charged with two counts of causing/inciting sexual activity with a child, five rapes of a female under the age of 16, and seven counts of sexual activity with female under the age of 16
Harvie Aspden, 23, of Bolton, has been charged with four counts of sexual activity with a female under 16.
Cory Barrett, 22, of Wigan, has been charged with three counts of rape of a female under 16, two counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual assault of a female under the age of 16.
Daniel Flatters, 32, of Bolton, has been charged with one count of rape of a female under the age of 16, two counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16 and one count of aggravated TWOC (Taking Without Consent).
Jack Poulson, 29, of Bolton, has been with charged with four counts of rape of a female under 16, five counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16 and one count of sexual communication with a female under the age of 16.
Jamie Fitzgerald, 34, of Bolton, has been charged with one count of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16.
Elliott Turner, 34, of Bolton, has been charged with one count of rape of a female under the age of 16.
Ross Corley, 28, of Bolton, has been charged with two counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16.
Brandon Harwood, 23, of Bolton, is charged with on count of rape of a girl aged 14 and two counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16.
Richard Haslam, 34, of Bolton has been charged with three counts of rape of a female under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual activity with a female under the age of 16.
Michael Linfoot, 21, and Thomas Rae, 21, are each accused of one count of the rape of a girl aged 15 in the Rivington area of Lancashire in 2018.
Callum Hesketh, 22, is accused of making indecent Snapchat videos of a child in the same area at the same time.