DETECTIVES have this morning said some of the victims of a suspected child sex ring may not have been aware they were being groomed.

Police are still questioning 12 suspects about the sexual exploitation of 24 Oxford girls after raids at 14 city addresses at 6am today.

Detectives are investigating if the men, who are all from Oxford, were working as an organised gang selling vulnerable girls for sex.

The victims, who are aged between 11 and 16, are all known to social services, and in some cases living in care.

The men, aged between 21 and 37 years old, were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences including causing the prostitution of females under the age of 18, administrating drugs for the purpose of rape, trafficking, grooming and rape.

The girls have not been paid for sex and many are said to be unaware that they are victims of grooming, but the alarm was raised last year when children’s services and police officers became aware of a worrying pattern emerging among girls who were going missing from home.

After months of intelligence gathering by Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council’s Children, Education and Families Department the raids were carried out as part of Operation Bullfinch, and led by Det Insp Simon Morton more than 100 officers were involved in the early morning sting.

Det Supt Rob Mason said: “We believe we have uncovered an organised crime group who have been running a business of selling young girls for sex. We have also identified a number of customers who we have reason to believe have used this service.

“We believe the offending spans over a six-year period.

“Our number one priority is to protect the victims, both their identities and wellbeing.”

Councillor Louise Chapman, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: “Thames Valley Police and the Oxfordshire County Council’s children’s social care team linked up swiftly when it became apparent that it would be dealing with an investigation that centred on child exploitation.

“This prompt action allowed children’s social care workers to work in close partnership with Thames Valley Police, with officers from the county council being seconded to the police, working from police premises.”

Neighbourhood police teams will now be carrying out reassurance patrols, issuing information about the operation with contact details if people need further information.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre was also involved in the operation.