An Exmouth Sea Cadets instructor has been suspended from all activities after he was arrested as part of an online 'sting' operation, it is understood.

The instructor, a man from Exeter who we have chosen not to identify unless a formal charge is confirmed, was confronted last month by an online group, accused of engaging in online chats with what he believed was an 11-year-old child.

He is also accused of sending pictures to and requesting pictures from the 'child'.

Devon and Cornwall Police declined to confirm the identity of the person and the status of any potential charges.

Now, the man's previous role with the cadets in Exmouth has been revealed - and the group confirmed he had immediately been suspended from all activities.

The Cadets' safeguarding team was liaising with relevant authorities and supporting investigations, the Sea Cadets said.

"Sea Cadets is aware of the recent live streaming, on a large public Facebook account, which showed individuals confronting (the individual) with allegations of inappropriate conduct towards minors," a spokesperson said.

"All previous checks on (the individual) were clear, however he was immediately suspended from all Sea Cadets activities the same day our Safeguarding Team were made aware of the allegations.

"Our Safeguarding Team continues to liaise with relevant authorities and support formal investigations."

Sea Cadets takes safeguarding concerns very seriously and has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse, the spokesperson added.

"Our specialist Safeguarding Team manages all cases in line with the charity’s robust policy and procedures," they said.

"The charity has a 24/7 safeguarding incident reporting line. All staff and volunteers are recruited following “safer recruitment practices”, including enhanced criminal record checks for all who work directly with children and young people.

"The charity promotes a culture of safety alongside our own safeguarding support systems, including whistle-blowing procedures, we promote external support organisations including NSPCC and Childline.

"As part of the training of all cadets, we also have a dedicated safeguarding awareness programme called Shout! that teaches cadets how to identify and report any concerns.

"Our culture encourages our cadets, volunteers and employees to speak up, disclose and confront any issues.

"It is our aim to provide safe spaces for all to feel they can trust their environment enough to learn, grow and flourish."