• Caplin was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences following a sting by Stop Stings, who live streamed the confrontation and submitted evidence to police.
• Sussex Police confirmed the arrest and ongoing investigation. This follows Caplin’s 2024 suspension from Labour over undisclosed “serious allegations.”
Only last week, Ivor Caplin, the former Labour MP for Hove and Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement—who played a key role in the removal of Jeremy Corbyn—voiced his opinions on the Asian-Muslim grooming gangs debate. Tony Blair’s former Defence Minister and Chair of JML (an organisation with close ties to the Israeli regime) appeared on GB News last Sunday to weigh in on Jess Phillips. Specifically, he addressed Elon Musk’s accusation that Phillips is a “rape genocide apologist” for refusing to reopen an inquiry into Muslim grooming gangs. Responding to the claim, Phillips stated, “There has already been a seven-year national inquiry into child abuse in England and Wales, which the Conservatives commissioned in 2015 and which looked at grooming gangs, as well as abuse in places like schools and the church.”
Caplin now finds himself embroiled in a scandal of his own. The 66-year-old was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of child sex offences after a sting operation conducted by the vigilante group Stop Stings. Renowned for exposing alleged predators, the group live-streamed their citizen’s arrest of the former Jewish MP on Facebook. The broadcast, spanning over 30 minutes, attracted more than 36,000 views and 3,000 comments.
In a statement, Sussex Police confirmed: “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.”
Stop Stings disclosed that they had journeyed from Derbyshire to Hove Station to execute the operation, where seven members confronted Caplin. Identifying themselves as veterans, the group questioned the former politician extensively during a livestream, during which he consistently denied the allegations. The vigilantes assert that they have submitted their “evidence” to the police for further investigation.
Caplin, who served as the Labour MP for Hove from 1997 to 2005, was suspended from the Labour Party in 2024 due to what were described as “serious allegations.” The specifics of these allegations, however, were never disclosed to the public.
