Ashfield parliamentary candidate Jason Zadrozny has been suspended by the Liberal Democrats after being arrested on suspicion of child sex abuse.
Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the 34-year-old for historical allegations, including gross indecency with a male under 16.
He has been bailed following the investigation.
Mr Zadrozny, who has served as a councillor on Nottinghamshire County Council and Ashfield District Council, was standing for the Ashfield constituency in the General Election.
He has now withdrawn from the running in order to fight the allegations, which he “vehemently” denies.
In a statement released on Thursday, he says that he did not want the allegations to “detract from the real issues facing local residents in the upcoming elections’.
Jason Zadrozny’s statement
“I am today withdrawing my candidacy as a Prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Ashfield and Eastwood Constituency.
“Yesterday I was questioned by Nottinghamshire Police about historic allegations, some of which are over ten years old.
“I am in full cooperation with the Police and vehemently refute the allegations.
|”I have spent the last ten years championing the cause of the Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally and I do not want this allegation to detract from the real issues facing local residents in the upcoming elections. Therefore I will step down with immediate effect as the party’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate to spend my time clearing my name.
A statement from Nottinghamshire Police said: “A man has been bailed following an investigation into historic sexual offences.
“The 34-year-old was arrested yesterday and questioned about an allegation of buggery and gross indecency with a male under 16 between September 2003 and April 2004, sexual activity with a child between May 2004 and December 2007 and an allegation of meeting a child under 16 following sexual grooming from May 2004 and December 2007.
“The offences are alleged to have been committed against one victim.”
The Lib Dems say the party had been made aware of a police investigation in Ashfield and had suspended the party’s parliamentary candidate pending the outcome.
A spokesperson says the process of finding a new candidate is under way.
Jason Zadrozny was fighting to win Ashfield against Labour shadow minister Gloria de Piero, who won by only 192 votes in 2010.
