A former senior police officer has warned that sexual abuse similar to the crimes exposed in Oxford’s grooming gang investigation is still ongoing, with perpetrators operating “in plain sight”, as reported by The BBC.
Simon Morton, who led Operation Bullfinch for Thames Valley Police, told the BBC that individuals involved in grooming networks are still active and influencing others to carry out similar crimes. He described grooming as a nationwide issue, claiming it is “obvious” that it is “happening in every city around the country.” Another police source supported this assertion.
Mr. Morton’s comments follow the government voting down a proposed amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have mandated a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Instead, the government has committed to implementing recommendations from the 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), chaired by Professor Alexis Jay.
Operation Bullfinch, the largest investigation in Oxford’s history, led to the convictions of 21 men for offences committed between the late 1990s and late 2000s. However, Morton believes further public inquiries would be “pointless” and a waste of money. Morton said:
“We’ve done the public inquiry. Every single investigation has been thoroughly reinvestigated and checked. We’ve had seven years of Professor Jay and her team looking at child sexual exploitation and made the recommendations. Let’s get it going. Don’t waste your money on more pointless inquiries.”
On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to introduce a new offence this year, imposing professional or criminal sanctions on individuals who fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse.
However, Morton highlighted a pervasive mistrust among abuse survivors toward authorities, including police and social services. He also warned that offenders have become more covert but remain active.
In response, Thames Valley Police emphasised that Operation Bullfinch, launched in 2011, resulted in 24 convictions and over 250 years of imprisonment sentences. A spokesperson said:
“There are now more police officers and detectives working in child abuse investigation and the management of sexual offenders. A new dedicated team monitors all investigations into missing people and identifies patterns or underlying issues.
