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Jimmy Savile was left free to sexually attack nearly 70 victims, including one five-year-old, over half a century despite rumors among local police officers that he was a “pervert,” the Guardian reported.
STORY: BBC Releases Jimmy Savile Scandal Probe Transcripts
An investigation by West Yorkshire police into Savile’s offending described the disgraced Jim’ll Fix It star as a “predatory pedophile and manipulative liar” who assaulted 68 women and men between 1950 and the 2000s. It also revealed that the TV star had offered his services as an “intermediary” in the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper in the late 1970s.
STORY: U.K. Police: 214 Crimes, 450 Abuse Complaints Recorded Against Late BBC Host Jimmy Savile
In a 59-page report published on Friday, the force revealed that eight of its officers attended Savile’s notorious “Friday Morning Club” to socialize with the former DJ at his home in Leeds, including four who attended regularly over a number of years, said the Guardian.
The inquiry, dubbed Operation Newgreen, found no evidence he was shielded from arrest but admitted an “over-reliance on personal friendships” between Savile and officers and pledged to review how it deals with “high-profile individuals” in light of the investigation.
The report added: “When taken in context, Savile lived for over 80 years as an individual who has duped millions into believing that he was a genuine celebrity, a charity fundraiser and a harmless eccentric who did nothing but good in our communities.
“However, evidence now suggests that he was a predatory pedophile and manipulative liar who caused harm to so many.”
Intelligence about Savile’s offending was mishandled a number of times, the report found, including in 1998 when West Yorkshire police failed to properly record an anonymous letter that made sexual abuse allegations about the late Top of the Pops host.
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