By a Newsnet reporter
A former Conservative Cabinet Minister is reported to be facing arrest as part of an investigation into child sex abuse allegations involving senior political figures and VIPs.
The reports centre around allegations by a woman who has claimed the politician raped her when she was a girl. Detectives from Scotland Yard’s Paedophile Unit are also investigating allegations that the former high ranking MP abused boys.
The news was first broken by investigative news site Exaro. According to Exaro, officers at the Met have received a secret briefing on preparations to arrest the former high ranking Tory. The briefing was part of a progress update on two police operations into child abuse.
It is believed the former minister is suspected of being part of a VIP paedophile ring that was regularly handed boys by child rapist and killer Sidney Cooke.
It has also emerged that a guest house at the centre of child abuse allegations featured in newsletters sent out by a Conservative campaign group.
Reports in Sunday newspapers claim that Scotland Yard has launched an investigation after allegations that VIPs including six senior Tories, businessmen and members of the royal household took part in child abuse at the guest house in upmarket Barnes, south-west London, in the 1980s.
Last week the Mirror newspaper revealed that a raid at the former guest house had uncovered a hand-written list of names of men who allegedly attended sex parties in the 80s.
The list included six Conservative MPs including four cabinet ministers and one Labour MP. Also named were members of the royal household [employees], a prominent UK businessman and two famous pop stars.
Newsnet Scotland has seen a copy of the list but has decided not to print the names of those involved.
The raid was part of Operation Fernbridge which was launched after Labour MP Tom Watson claimed a paedophile ring with links to Downing Street had used establishment connections to avoid justice.
In 1982, twelve boys told police that they had been abused at the guest house, but the claims were never fully investigated. Haroon Kasir, known as ‘Harry’ who is the former manager and part owner of the guest house was this week reported to be trying to flee to the US.
Also said to have links to the guest house is former BBC presenter Jimmy Savile who was exposed as one of the worst sex offenders ever after his death. Kasir is said to have boasted to friends that Savile visited him frequently.
The NSPCC said that Savile’s crimes “simply beggared belief”. The former Jim’ll Fix It presenter is alleged to have committed 23 sex crimes at the BBC TV Centre. Savile also used his celebrity status in order to gain access to vulnerable people in secure institutions and is said to have attacked scores of victims in hospitals and hospices.
