James Savile was a monster, but the question now that he's dead is, will he turn into Britain's Dutroux, a scapegoat for a wide-reaching pedophile network that reaches into the highest halls of power in the land?
Police investigating the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal are dealing with around 300 alleged victims, Scotland Yard has revealed.
Commander Peter Spindler said officers were following more than 400 lines of inquiry linked to the victims, of whom all except two were women.
He said investigators had so far spoken to 130 people who had come forward, and 114 allegations of crime had emerged.
Officers were using a "triage" approach, first making contact with victims by phone to get initial details of their allegations.
He told reporters that most of the allegations were linked to Savile, but some involved others who might have acted with him.
The inquiry would be a "watershed" moment in the investigation of child abuse, he said.
Nobody has been arrested or interviewed under caution as yet, but the force is "preparing an arrest strategy".
The commander said: "There's Savile on his own, and that's the vast majority of what we're being told about; there's Savile and others. And it's the others, if they're living, we can look at them.
"Then there is a third category which is 'others'."
Officers are trying to contact victims as quickly as possible, but for some it is the first time they have spoken about the allegations, Spindler said.
He told journalists: "We are trying to make contact with as many victims as quickly as we can. We are doing it initially by telephone but some of those telephone contacts are taking up to four hours.
"This may be the first time that some people have actually spoken in any detail, and we don't underestimate how significant an event it is for them to disclose sexual abuse."
Praising victims for their courage in coming forward, he encouraged anyone else who was wondering whether to speak out to do so.
"That's the type of people who are the most vulnerable in our society, and they do need to be given a voice. I think what's happened with this inquiry is that others have clearly demonstrated that they do have a voice and that they will be heard."
Spindler said Savile was "undoubtedly" one of the most prolific sex offenders of recent history and the weight of evidence against the late DJ was overwhelming.
He said: "We have to believe what they are saying because they are all saying the same thing independently."
Spindler said a retired officer had been in touch to say he had investigated Savile in the 1980s while based in west London but he had not had the evidence to proceed.
He said he believed the allegation was of an indecent assault on BBC premises but officers have still not found the original file.
He added that Savile had been protected because "children or young people" had not felt "empowered to speak out".
Spindler also warned current abusers that police would "come for them".
"While Britain reflects on how Savile was able to hide in plain sight, I think it's quite important that we focus on what's happening today in our society and our activities in the coming weeks hopefully will be a stark warning to any men out there today who think they can exploit their positions of power and influence and abuse children and young people in Britain. I really do want them to take heed, and tell them that we will come for them."
So far, the NSPCC has had 439 calls about sexual abuse in the past three weeks, a 60% rise on what it would normally receive.
Two out of five have been referred to social services and the police.
Source: Press Association
Yes, of course he will (become a scapegoat for all those that acted for him and with him). You can't touch a dead man, only by looking into his 'conections' will you find others out there who were his 'associates'.