Veteran British musician arrested in child sex abuse probe

British police have arrested a former pop mogul, Jonathan King, along with two others over historic child sex abuse allegations.

Seventy-year-old King was arrested as part of a new investigation ‘Operation Ravine’ into sex abuse of the Walton Hop disco during the 1970s and 80s. Surrey Police said alleged sexual offences relate to boys under 16.

The police carried out searches at residences of the accused in Surrey and London and later took the arrested men to various police stations in Surrey for questioning.

"Our investigation focuses on the Walton Hop Disco, a popular event for youngsters between the 1970s and 1980s, and we are following a number of lines of enquiry. If anyone has information that may help the investigation I would ask them to contact us",Karen Mizzi, Detective Chief Inspector told media.

The arrests have come 10 months after the Surrey police announced a renewed investigation following its previous probe into the Walton Hop Disco, which ended in 2001.

“The thing that I find more troubling about this is the BBC’s role in covering up so many of these offences going on and those must be staff in BBC who were aware not just Jonathan King but many others or some others. A major independent inquiry in the BBC family have always appeared who did what and when and why were actually not taken”, Alan Hart, an author and former BBC Panorama presenter told Press TV.   

Jonathan King is a veteran musician and TV producer who is known for a number of pop hits during 1970s and produced albums such as Genesis, Peter Gabriel, The Bay City Rollers and 10cc.

‘Historic scandals’

The United Kingdom has witnessed a surge in child sexual abuse cases, some of which dating back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and involving churches, media personalities and politicians.

BBC was also at the center of controversy over the sex scandal involving its former presenter and Radio host, Jimmy Savile. A year after his death in 2001, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse and rape of minors became public, leading the police to believe that Savile was one of Britain's most predatory sex offenders.

Jonathan King’s arrest comes just a day after former Church of England bishop pleaded guilty to sex abuse charges. 83-year-old former bishop of Lewes, Peter Ball, admitted that he sexually abused 18 young men over a period of 15 years between 1977 and 1992.

According to Ball, he used religion as “cloak” to manipulate the victims while they were coming to his home to explore their spirituality. The former bishop is believed to have close relations with Britain’s Prince Charles whom he once described as ‘a loyal friend’.

An investigation by ITV News has discovered dozens of new allegations of historical child sex abuse within the Church of England have been made in the last few months. This increase in survivors coming forward may reveal a new found confidence from those who have been sexually abused to seek redress and help.

Earlier this year, the Methodist Church issued a public apology after an investigation found some 2,000 cases of sex abuse within the institution dating back to the 1950s.  

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