Child 'sex slaves' rescued

LONDON - Five children being kept as sex slaves by paedophiles who broadcast daily abuse of their victims over the internet have been rescued by police from homes in Scotland and England and placed in care.

The boys and girls, aged from 7 to 13, were freed in a series of raids last month as part of an investigation by a specialist Scottish unit set up to oversee inquiries into serious sexual crimes.

The operation was launched when evidence of the internet abuse was obtained following the arrest of a man in central Scotland for alleged sex offences.

Three children were found in Scotland and two in England.

The investigation was supported by Scotland's National Sex Crimes Unit, a team of senior prosecutors who are able to direct and offer advice on police operations.

Police said legal proceedings were now active against several individuals.

- INDEPENDENT