Former Labour Party Minister of Defence Ivor Caplin has been arrested in Brighton after allegedly grooming and attempting to meet a 15-year-old boy for sex.
Caplin, was arrested on Saturday 11 January after a sting by local pedophile hunters who live-streamed the operation on Facebook and shared further footage of the arrest online, according to local news reports.
Caplin’s dramatic downfall comes just a week after his televised defense of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has faced sharp criticism from Elon Musk over his inaction on addressing grooming gangs in England.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Latest Video
“The abuse he has tried to bring on Keir Starmer is completely and utterly unfounded,” said Caplin during an interview on GB News. He also declared Musk’s comments on Jess Phillips and Keir Starmer are “not acceptable.”
Sussex Police confirmed news of the arrest, stating: “We are aware of footage circulating on social media showing a man in Brighton being detained on suspicion of engaging in online sexual communications with a child.
“Officers can confirm that a local 66-year-old man was arrested on Saturday January 11 and currently remains in custody.
“This is an ongoing and active investigation.”
The confrontation with Caplin, the former defence minister, was livestreamed on Facebook, lasting 30 minutes and attracting more than 36,000 views and 3,000 comments.
Caplin is understood to deny any wrongdoing.