112 people arrested across Europe in crackdown on child porn

[News_Editor]

112 people arrested across Europe in crackdown on child porn

2011-12-17 09:30:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) -- More than 110 people have been arrested across 22 European countries on suspicion of possessing child pornography, the European Police Office (EUROPOL) announced on Friday. More arrests are expected.

Officials said an investigation into a file-sharing program identified 269 suspects who allegedly possessed and shared child pornography. A total of 189 house searches have been conducted as of Friday, resulting in 112 arrests across 22 European countries.

Europol said the operation targeted those who shared the most extreme forms of video material, which includes babies and toddlers being sexually abused and raped. "This is the latest major success in over 10 years of Europol supporting law enforcement agencies in Europe in their fight against child sex abuse online," said Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol.

The arrests were made in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, and Switzerland.

In Denmark alone, police said it arrested 19 men aged 24 to 55 and seized 59 computers and 2,430 external media such as hard drives, USB sticks, DVDs and other material. "From just one of the accused Danes we seized a quantity of 29 terabytes of data," said Danish National Police Commissioner Jens Henrik Højbjerg. "It's a tall order to handle for our investigators - it can potentially be 9,000 hours of high quality video."

But Højbjerg said its investigators are using automated software which compares the seized material against a police database of previously known child pornography. This allows investigators to concentrate on new images and movies, which may uncover new victims.

The operation, called 'Operation Icarus', is the first operation to be concluded under the auspices of the new action plan of the COSPOL Internet Related Child Abuse Material Project (CIRCAMP), an initiative by EU police chiefs led by Belgium and funded by the European Commission. Denmark was chosen to lead the operation.

According to investigators, the latest arrests have already uncovered previously unknown networks of pedophiles. "This operation shows how the internet is helping offenders to develop better techniques for sharing images on a global basis and for protecting their identity," Wainwright said. "The problems involved are becoming harder to police and call for sustained efforts by policy-makers and law enforcement agencies to ensure that society's response remains strong and agile in this area."

Investigations are ongoing and Europol said it expects more arrests in the near future, with a special focus on identifying those who produce child pornography, the suspects and their victims. Among those arrested during 'Operation Icarus' is at least one person who is suspected of grooming and meeting a young child.

"These children are victims of multiple crimes," said Cecilia Malmström, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs. "First, when the actual abuse takes place. Then, when it is filmed. And, thereafter, every time the images are posted, circulated or viewed."

In March, Europol announced 184 people had been arrested in what is believed to have been the world's largest online pedophile network. The investigation centered on the Netherlands-based website boylover.net, which attracted more than 70,000 members at its height.

The website operated as a discussion-only forum where people could share their desire about sexual contact with young boys, without committing any specific offence. However, some members of the website would eventually move to private channels such as e-mail to exchange illegal images and videos of children being abused.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-12-17

[princejohnjay]

112??? hmmm.....

[DoctorG]

A "well done" to the cops.

[Centrum]

"The arrests were made in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, and Switzerland."

Seems like one well coordinated operation.

"In Denmark alone, police said it arrested 19 men aged 24 to 55 and seized 59 computers and 2,430 external media such as hard drives, USB sticks, DVDs and other material. "From just one of the accused Danes we seized a quantity of 29 terabytes of data," said Danish National Police Commissioner Jens Henrik Højbjerg. "It's a tall order to handle for our investigators - it can potentially be 9,000 hours of high quality video."

Bad choice of words there...

I hope that there is a connection to find the perpetrators of the assaults on these young victims.

[Nigel1500]

Now, if you can just line those men up in front of this little guillotine ...

[maidu]

Bad, yes. Yet, it's somewhat like the illegal drug biz.

It's the source and dealers who are the baddies. The guys peering at smut pictures in the privace of their abodes are not as bad. They may be sickos and perverts, but they're probably not sexual predators. It smacks of 'thought-police', to severely punish someone for looking at pictures in private.

Comparison: All of us view pictures of blood and guts and gore and rapes. Most movies and videos have such images. Does that mean that we go out and do such things? Some people, particularly youngsters, view extreme violence for hours on a daily basis (videos and computer games). If compared to the laws on child porn production, the makers and marketers of the videos would be severely punished, but they're untouchable.

You can get in more trouble showing a woman's nipple than a woman being raped and disembowled.

[smokie36]

Bad, yes. Yet, it's somewhat like the illegal drug biz.

It's the source and dealers who are the baddies. The guys peering at smut pictures in the privace of their abodes are not as bad. They may be sickos and perverts, but they're probably not sexual predators. It smacks of 'thought-police', to severely punish someone for looking at pictures in private.

Comparison: All of us view pictures of blood and guts and gore and rapes. Most movies and videos have such images. Does that mean that we go out and do such things? Some people, particularly youngsters, view extreme violence for hours on a daily basis (videos and computer games). If compared to the laws on child porn production, the makers and marketers of the videos would be severely punished, but they're untouchable.

You can get in more trouble showing a woman's nipple than a woman being raped and disembowled.

What a load of utter tosh. If you can't tell the difference between adults acting out a scene for a film and a child being sexually abused then I feel very sorry for you indeed.

Children are never consenting to this type of abuse. Those who watch such sick videos or pictures are perpetrators as much as those who make the filth.

[Scott]

Let's keep the discussion civil. You can disagree with other posters, but don't get personal.

[luckizuchinni]

Without the people who purchase child porn, it would not be made. Money drives the trade. However, I do see maidu's point in that it is the makers of such stuff who need to be tracked down and hit with severe punishment.

The people who view child porn are breaking the law and need to be punished, but maidu is also right in that most of them would never actually do such action, whether for fear of punishment or for some inner limit and morality (much like most of us would watch a film of a rape or killing, but never do actually do either ourselves.) They do create the market, however, and so I have no problem with their arrest and punishment. But we really, really need to stop the production. Most of this is done in Russia, now, seemingly without any fear of prosecution. That needs to stop.

[Shurup]

Bad, yes. Yet, it's somewhat like the illegal drug biz.

It's the source and dealers who are the baddies. The guys peering at smut pictures in the privace of their abodes are not as bad. They may be sickos and perverts, but they're probably not sexual predators. It smacks of 'thought-police', to severely punish someone for looking at pictures in private.

Comparison: All of us view pictures of blood and guts and gore and rapes. Most movies and videos have such images. Does that mean that we go out and do such things? Some people, particularly youngsters, view extreme violence for hours on a daily basis (videos and computer games). If compared to the laws on child porn production, the makers and marketers of the videos would be severely punished, but they're untouchable.

You can get in more trouble showing a woman's nipple than a woman being raped and disembowled.

It's been discussed a million of times - those sickos maybe don't hurt the kids directly, but they pay to others to do it and film it by buying sick materials.

[Ulysses G.]

The people who view child porn are breaking the law and need to be punished, but maidu is also right in that most of them would never actually do such action

I am suspicious that this is not correct. I would guess that a great many of them try to make their sick fantasies come true.

[smokie36]

The people who view child porn are breaking the law and need to be punished, but maidu is also right in that most of them would never actually do such action

I am suspicious that this is not correct. I would guess that a great many of them try to make their sick fantasies come true.

Unfortunately I would agree with this 100%. Anyone who is watching this stuff is a threat to children.

[maidu]

The people who view child porn are breaking the law and need to be punished, but maidu is also right in that most of them would never actually do such action

I am suspicious that this is not correct. I would guess that a great many of them try to make their sick fantasies come true.

Unfortunately I would agree with this 100%. Anyone who is watching this stuff is a threat to children.

Some perhaps, but I can't agree with that, citing an earlier post which said in effect: "if you watch a film with sexual deviancy or murder or bombings, are you liable to also commit such acts when you leave the movie theater or when you leave your house, after watching it on your computer? I'm not excusing people who watch smut, but am trying to put it in perspective. It's the makers and marketers of the stuff who should be harshly dealt with - particularly those who victimize children.

As for the 'contributing to the problem' argument. True to some extent, but with the same argument, one could say anyone who visits an up-scale Chinese restaurant is contributing to the decimation of sharks, because there's shark fin soup on the menu. Or anyone who eats a hamburger is directly or indirectly contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, because hundreds of acres per day are destroyed to raise beef cattle. I admit it's a stretch of a comparison, so don't get in too much of a huff over it. People are fixated on our one species, and perhaps that's the way it should be, but there are hundreds of other species out there which are getting snuffed out altogether.

[Ulysses G.]

I do not think that watching videos of children being sexually abused by adults is anywhere in the same category as eating hamburgers.

[maidu]

I do not think that watching videos of children being sexually abused by adults is anywhere in the same category as eating hamburgers.

I don't think so either, but we're discussing whether watching or doing one thing (masturbating, for example) - leads to causing harm to others. What people privately think is their business. How they act is a different matter.

[chuckd]

I do not think that watching videos of children being sexually abused by adults is anywhere in the same category as eating hamburgers.

I don't think so either, but we're discussing whether watching or doing one thing (masturbating, for example) - leads to causing harm to others. What people privately think is their business. How they act is a different matter.

Apparently the authorities believe at least 112 of them were not acting properly.

Errr, ummm, a person can eat a hamburger in public but I wouldn't suggest you masturbate in public. You might become number 113.

[GentlemanJim]

Now this is where we need the US system of sentencing for 50 years, and possibly where Gitmo and water boarding come in. I wonder how many of the children are stolen babies and toddlers. These people have been caught in possession of this material red-handed and all means possible should be used to track down the organizers and then possibly some hope for return of children to their families. If that means water boarding them all then so be it.

[koheesti]

The people who view child porn are breaking the law and need to be punished, but maidu is also right in that most of them would never actually do such action

I am suspicious that this is not correct. I would guess that a great many of them try to make their sick fantasies come true.

Unfortunately I would agree with this 100%. Anyone who is watching this stuff is a threat to children.

I agree too. I have a fantasy involving Angelina Jolie but that is never going to happen. But sickos with fantasies involving infants and toddlers CAN make those fantasies come true and the witnesses are too young and defenseless to do anything about it. Shoot all 112 of them, auction off their belongings and donate the proceeds to organisations helping sexually abused children.

Edited December 18, 2011 by koheesti

[GentlemanJim]

Agreed, shoot them, but only after you have used every means possible to extract as much information as possible to get to the most valuable part of this terrorism on humanity and that is the children. I spoke to a guy in the London Met Police once who was saying that many of the victims of these movies are never found and a large percentage are on the missing childrens list. People somewhere kidnap and provide these poor youngsters, seems the best way to find them is whatever means necessary with those that exploit them. There is one guy in the article with maybe 9000 hours of this porn!! How many children is that? It makes me totally sick thinking about it.

[KKK]

No comment except to say I am surprised not to see UK on the list....Did they not take part?

[swisstouristpattaya]

These people are disgusting.

Edited December 19, 2011 by swisstouristpattaya