Prominent Australian entertainer arrested in relation to Jimmy Savile child sex investigation
Jon Kaila
News Limited Network
March 29, 20133:43PM


A PROMINENT Australian entertainer has been arrested by Scotland Yard detectives in London on suspicion of sexual offences.

Metropolitan Police confirmed officers have arrested an 82-year-old man living in Berkshire.

He was arrested by detectives involved in Operation Yewtree - which is investigating the Jimmy Savile child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the UK.

He was released about 11.30pm UK time after being questioned by detectives. His present location is unknown.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said he was bailed to a date in May, pending further inquiries.

The arrested man previously attended Lewisham police station, in South East London, by appointment on November 29 last year.

Officers had obtained a warrant to search his Berkshire home five days earlier.

Operation Yewtree was formed in the wake of revelations the now deceased television host and radio DJ Savile, sexually abused and assaulted more than 400 people, mostly children, over five decades in hospitals, schools and BBC's London studios.

It is believed the arrest of the 82-year-old is not directly related to Savile's acts but other alleged sexual offences that had come to light during the overall investigation.

The man is one of 11 people arrested so far.

Following the death of Savile in October 2011, hundreds of sex abuse allegations emerged .

Last month a London Metropolitan Police report said Savile had abused adults and children across the UK over more than five decades. The NSPCC said Savile, who was 84 when he died, had been one of the most prolific sex offenders in its 129-year history.

Operation Yewtree was set up in the wake of the Savile scandal. It has three strands:

1) Looking specifically at Savile's actions;

2) Investigating allegations against "Savile and others"; and

3) Relating to alleged complaints against other people not connected to the Savile investigation

Today's arrest is related to looking at complaints against people not connected to Savile.

High-profile names which have arisen in connection with the investigation are PR consultant Max Clifford, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis and comedian Jim Davidson - who have all denied any wrongdoing.

Gary Glitter, 69, whose real name is Paul Gadd, who was also arrested, has not yet made a statement.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/prominent-australian-entertainer-arrested-in-relation-to-jimmy-savile-child-sex-investigation/story-fnddckzi-1226608965017

http://inagist.com/all/317432113924296704/

When read read "australian" and "82 year old" living in England it could only have been Rolf Harris.

His beard always mad him a bit sus :?

Edited by afromanGT: 29/3/2013 07:12:03 PM

The words Australia,Berkshire and 82yo meant it is Rolf(had to check age as he doesn't look that old)

Very sad

When you google Rolf Harris, Jimmy Saville even comes up under "People also search for".

Sad :(

I wouldn't call the implication that someone is a terrible person 'sad' so much as disappointing.

It's always sad when your childhood heroes turn out to be (allegedly) terrible.

Personally, I've never liked Rolf Harris.

An 82-year-old Australian entertainer has been arrested on suspicion of sexual offences by officers investigating former BBC star Jimmy Savile.

The pensioner from Berkshire, west of London, is one of 11 people arrested so far under Operation Yewtree that is investigating people linked to Savile.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said there were three categories of people subject to the investigation: Savile himself, people close to the presenter and ''others''.

The 82-year-old is in the last category, which ''is generally people who were in the public spotlight at around that time'', the spokesman said.

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The Berkshire man was interviewed under caution in late November, five days after his house was searched. Police stressed Thursday's arrest was not connected to the allegations made against Savile.

The arrested man was bailed to a date in May. No mainstream media organisations have named the interviewed man.

A friend of the man's family expressed shock last year at the raging online rumour mill that had been built on the internet. The family friend, who declined to be named, asked then if the entertainer could have committed such offences, replied: ''Absolutely not … the whole thing is crazy.''

A close family member, who lives in Sydney, declined to make any comment at that time.

Savile was a hugely popular but eccentric figure, famed for his shock of white hair, tracksuits and chunky gold jewellery. But since his death his reputation has been destroyed by revelations that he abused hundreds of children and women.

In a report into his activities, police said earlier this year that Savile ''groomed the nation'' over six decades, hiding behind his fame to assault girls, boys and adult women on BBC premises and in schools and hospitals.



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-arrested-in-savile-inquiry-20130329-2gz5w.html#ixzz2P1cDm7ps