Fifty children have been rescued and nine people arrested after an Interpol investigation into an international paedophile ring.
The arrests were made in Thailand, Australia and the US and more are expected, Interpol said.
The investigation began in 2017 and focused on a hidden “dark web” site with 63,000 users worldwide.
Police believe 100 more children have suffered abuse and are working to identify them.
Operation Blackwrist was launched by Interpol after it detected images showing 11 boys aged under 13 being abused on a site where people can use encrypted software to maintain secrecy.
Dem Senate nominee distances herself from Kamala Harris ahead of visit: ‘Will not be attending’
Rex Heuermann, suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, pleads guilty to seven killings
California fraud concerns ramp up as man pleads guilty to massive scheme using taxpayers as his ‘piggy bank’
Who has been killed so far during the Iran war?
Eric Swalwell denies sexual harassment rumors as allegations mount
Husband of American woman missing in the Bahamas speaks out for first time, says he is ‘heartbroken’
Now That There’s a Ceasefire, There’s One Question Iran Will Be Forced to Answer: Where’s the Guy in Charge?
5 US House races shift toward Democrats: Cook Political Report
Trump Touts ‘Golden Age of the Middle East’ After Iran Ceasefire: ‘Big Money Will Be Made’
Meet the Trump-Endorsed Prosecutor Who Just Won the Race to Replace MTG
Trump, Rubio face NATO chief as US moves to ‘reexamine’ alliance after Iran clash
The Rules for the New Obama Center Shine a Bright Light on Democrats’ Hypocrisy
Trump, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire and more top headlines
NATO’s Rutte heads to White House to make peace with Trump
Teamsters still bankrolling Democrats, including Jay Jones, despite openly flirting with Trump and GOP
The dark net is an internet area beyond the reach of mainstream search engines.
The US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) department traced the IP address of the website, which was hosting photos and videos of abuse.
Police say the abusers uploaded new images on a weekly basis and often masked the children’s faces to make it harder for investigators to identify them.
The first arrests came last year, when the site’s main administrator, Montri Salangam, was detained in Thailand, and another administrator, Ruecha Tokputza, was caught in Australia.
Dem Senate nominee distances herself from Kamala Harris ahead of visit: ‘Will not be attending’
Rex Heuermann, suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, pleads guilty to seven killings
California fraud concerns ramp up as man pleads guilty to massive scheme using taxpayers as his ‘piggy bank’
Who has been killed so far during the Iran war?
Eric Swalwell denies sexual harassment rumors as allegations mount
Husband of American woman missing in the Bahamas speaks out for first time, says he is ‘heartbroken’
Now That There’s a Ceasefire, There’s One Question Iran Will Be Forced to Answer: Where’s the Guy in Charge?
5 US House races shift toward Democrats: Cook Political Report
Trump Touts ‘Golden Age of the Middle East’ After Iran Ceasefire: ‘Big Money Will Be Made’
Meet the Trump-Endorsed Prosecutor Who Just Won the Race to Replace MTG
Trump, Rubio face NATO chief as US moves to ‘reexamine’ alliance after Iran clash
The Rules for the New Obama Center Shine a Bright Light on Democrats’ Hypocrisy
Trump, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire and more top headlines
NATO’s Rutte heads to White House to make peace with Trump
Teamsters still bankrolling Democrats, including Jay Jones, despite openly flirting with Trump and GOP
Salangam, who abused one of his nephews, was sentenced to 146 years in prison in Thailand, while an accomplice, a pre-school teacher, got 36 years.
Tokputza was sentenced to 40 years on Friday after pleading guilty to 51 charges against 11 babies and boys, the heaviest sentence ever handed down in Australia for child sex offences.
Police found thousands of images taken in both Thailand and Australia on his devices. In some of them Tokputza was the main abuser. The youngest victim to be identified was 15 months old.
“You are a child’s worst nightmare, you are every parent’s horror, you are a menace to the community,” Judge Liesl Chapman said in Adelaide.
The identities of the others arrested are yet to be released, but some are residing in the US and held public positions of trust, said Eric McLoughlin, the HSI’s regional attache in Bangkok.
Story cited here.
