Fourth ex-South Yorkshire Police officer arrested on suspicion of historic child sexual abuse in Rotherham
A total of 10 complainants have now come forward, alleging they were sexually abused by South Yorkshire Police officers as children
A man in his 60s has become the fourth former South Yorkshire Police officer to be arrested over allegations of historic child sexual abuse in Rotherham.
Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has now confirmed that the former officer was arrested by the National Crime Agency in June 2026 on suspicion of non-recent child sexual abuse offences.
An IOPC spokesperson said today (August 11, 2026): “He was taken into custody and later released on conditional bail, pending further investigation.”
The IOPC saID the fourth officer’s arrest came after their investigation was widened to include additional matters, involving four more complainants.
This brings the total number of complainants making allegations of child sexual abuse against South Yorkshire Police officers, who were serving with the force at the relevant time, to 10.
The IOPC spokesperson said: “The criminal investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation by former South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers remains ongoing.
“The investigation is being carried out by officers from Operation Stovewood - the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) enquiry into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse in Rotherham - under the IOPC’s direction.
“The investigation has widened to include additional matters – referred to us this year by SYP – relating to four more victim-survivors. These matters relate to non-recent reports of child sex abuse offences by former SYP officers.
“As a result of further evidence recently identified during the investigation, a former SYP officer – aged in his 60s – was arrested in June by officers from the NCA on suspicion of non-recent child sexual abuse offences.”
The other three SYP officers were first arrested in 2024 and 2025, with six complainants identified at that time.
The allegations relate to some of the most serious claims to emerge since the Rotherham grooming scandal, which were first brought to national attention over a decade ago.
They relate to claims that girls in the town were sexually abused by SYP officers during the same period they were being targeted by grooming gangs.
SYP’s Major Crime Team was initially put in charge of the investigation, under the direction of the IOPC.
However, following concerns raised by survivors and others it was announced the probe would be led by officers from Operation Stovewood, the NCA’s long-running investigation into non-recent child sexual abuse in Rotherham.
- RELATED: Lane still closed on M1 between Thorpe Hesley and Meadowhall
- RELATED: Compensation joy for bereaved families of asbestos disease victims
- RELATED: One lane still closed on M1 - but should open later this morning
- RELATED: Met Office issues yellow fog warning as drivers urged to make slower journeys