A total of twenty seven men and two women appeared in court as they face at least 170 charges of sexual exploitation of eighteen children. The defendants appeared before a district judge at Huddersfield Magistrates Court only to be greeted by a handful of protesters outside the court building, where over 20 police officials were on duty.
Allegations include non-recent sexual offences that date back to between 2004 and 2011, relating to 18 women who were children at the time. The youngest involved was 11 years old. While the defendants are mainly from Huddersfield, there are also men from Dudley, Sheffeild, Bradford, Manchester, and Dewsbury.
District Judge Michael Fanning transferred all the cases to the crown court, after a lengthy sitting and asked them to appear again at Leeds Crown Court on May 11.
