Twenty nine people have appeared in court facing a total of more than 170 charges relating to the sexual exploitation of 18 children.
The 27 men and two women appeared before a district judge at Huddersfield Magistrates Court charged with offences including rape, trafficking, sexual activity with a child, child neglect, child abduction, supplying drugs and making of indecent images of children.
The defendants were greeted by a handful of protesters outside the court building, where more than 20 police were on duty.
The allegations are non-recent sexual offences, dating back to between 2004 and 2011, and relate to 18 women, who were children at the time. The youngest child involved was 11 years old.
The defendants, who are mainly from Huddersfield but also include men from Dudley, Sheffield, Bradford, Manchester, and Dewsbury, appeared in groups before District Judge Michael Fanning during a lengthy court sitting on Wednesday.