Updated 11.25
Detectives in the North have arrested six people in relation to a child sexual exploitation investigation.
The five men and one woman are not believed to be linked as a group, though the woman is linked to one of the men arrested.
Those arrested this morning in Ballymena, Co Antrim are aged between 17 and 56.
The men were arrested on suspicion of rape and other related offences. They are aged 17, 19, 23, 42 and 56.
Police are meanwhile questioning a woman (48) on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and false imprisonment.
A number of searches have also been carried out and police have taken some items for examination.
Commenting on the operation, Detective Chief Inspector Deirdre Bones, from the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch said:
"It is important to note that although these arrests all took place in the Ballymena area, the suspects are not all linked to each other. This is not about organised sexual abuse by a group of people. The arrests are part of a wider PSNI investigation focused on child sexual exploitation."
The spokesperson indicated that the arrests might have come as a result of a multi-agency operation: "We are determined to do everything we can in relation to child sexual exploitation and we recognise that the most effective way to tackle sexual exploitation of children is via effective multi-agency and partnership working."
