Bay of Plenty Police have today arrested and charged five young men as part of an ongoing investigation into sexual allegations in Opotiki.
The men, aged between 17 and 18, have been charged with Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Young Person under 16, and will appear in the Opotiki District Court on December 3.
While the men have links to Opotiki College, Detective Inspector Mark Loper says there is no information to suggest the alleged offending occurred at the school, or that any school staff were involved.
“This has been a very thorough and complex inquiry, and would like to acknowledge the support of the local community and thank them for their patience as we have worked methodically through the process to get us to this point,” Mr Loper says.
“While we have made arrests today, there is still a long way to go in the inquiry, and we will be continuing to support those who have come forward and their families as we work through the judicial process.
“We are also mindful that there has been significant media interest in this investigation. But, as we have said all along, our priority has been the wellbeing of the young people who have raised these concerns with us, and we again appeal to the media to exercise discretion and please respect their privacy, while considering the additional stress that this attention has placed on them and their families.”
ENDS
Media note: As matters are now before the court, Police will not be commenting further, nor providing interviews.
Issued by Ross Henderson, PNHQ Public Affairs.