How Jimmy Savile Was Able To Escape Justice For Over 60 Years

While there have been many prominent people over the years — celebrities, athletes, politicians — who have suffered a fall from grace thanks to their own, sometimes criminal, misdeeds, it's always shocking that they're able to keep these things under wraps as long as they can, despite living in the public eye. Jimmy Savile was one of those people, whose horrific crimes were happening for decades, even as he continued with his career as one of the U.K.'s most beloved television personalities. It's estimated that he raised tens of millions of pounds for charity. He was a man who hobnobbed with the Royal Family and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1990, according to The U.S. Sun.

While there were whispers about his alleged misconduct — including repeated accusations of sexual assault — the truth wasn't fully revealed until after Savile died in 2011 (via The Week). The investigation became known as Operation Yewtree and while it brought Savile's crimes to light, his death meant that his victims were never able to see him face justice,

According to The Guardian, the first alleged incident of abuse occurred well before Savile was a household name in the United Kingdom. It happened in 1955, while he was still the manager of a dance hall, and had yet to hop on the radio airwaves. There were also instances of reported abuse in 1960 in which it was alleged that he sexually assaulted a young autograph seeker at the hotel where he was staying. Once he had attained a level of fame with shows like "Top of the Pops" and his later program, "Jim'll Fix It," Savile used the show as a way of gaining access to his victims.

In addition to his work on radio and television, Savile was widely known for his charity work, which included fundraising and volunteerism. While this helped cultivate an altruistic image for the famously eccentric DJ, it's now known that he used his volunteer work as a way of gaining access to his victims. This was reportedly going on as far back as the mid-1960s. In addition to hospitals, Savile was a regular presence at a girls' school in Staines, Surrey. Once again, it's said, he used this opportunity to perpetrate abuse,

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In 2012, the year after Savile's death, the Metropolitan police launched an investigation called Operation Yewtree to look at accusations of historic child sexual abuse. Operation Yewtree was initiated the day after a documentary debuted that featured interviews with women who had survived abuse at the hands of Savile, who spoke about their experience and how the celebrity DJ had groomed them from a young age.

Operation Yewtree examined allegations against Savile dating back to the late 1950s and all the way through the 1980s. These allegations weren't limited to one locatio,n as they were described as being on "a national scale. According to The Guardian, in January 2013 it was revealed that Scotland Yard had labeled Savile as a "prolific, predatory" sex offender, that he had committed more than 200 offenses, and that nearly three-quarters of his victims were children.

The investigation started with Jimmy Savile but then branched to include other predators, and just over three years after the investigation began, 19 people were arrested, with seven of those arrests leading to convictions. According to National World, the investigation is ongoing, although under a new name: Operation Winter Key,