Re: My friend has just been RAIDED!!

Well what do you expect when the principle of Habeus Corpus has been subverted to "I've found a paedophile - never mind the trial"?

That said, the rule of tabloid law that now assumes guilty until proven innocent still has to have some basis in fact.

From the police point of view they cannot work on hearsay alone - i.e. they must prove before a magistrate that there is a reason a search warrant for private premises is appropriate in the circumstances; just because someone says you are a paedophile carries no weight in law and they cannot act on that information without some form of corroboration such as a sworn witness statement or "hard" evidence. There is a big difference in being "taken in for questioning" or being arrested; only in the latter case will the details be released to the press if appropriate.

Don't flatter yourself, just because your friend knows you does not mean they can break down his door as and when it pleases; the principle of an Englismam's home being his castle still applies.

In a nutshell, based on your info so far, I would have to say that there is more to this than meets the eye; if not then he has a massive claim for defamation of character under civil proceedings.

If your friend is truly innnocent and the CPS decide to prosecute then he needs to prepare for the worst experience he will ever undergo - and I speak from experience.