Norris, a former Labour minister who defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg as MP for North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election, was taken into custody after police raided his constituency home on Friday, the Guardian reported.
Avon and Somerset Police said a man in his 60s was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offenses against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in public office, the Independent reported. He was released on conditional bail.
“Most of the offenses are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s,” Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement. “An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage,” it said.
Norris, who served as a junior environment minister from 2009 to 2010, hasn’t issued a public statement since the incident.