Interpol arrests 95 suspects in child abuse image crackdown
Operations across 17 countries led to 127 search warrants and multiple rescues.
Interpol says police have arrested 95 suspects in an international operation targeting the online spread of child sexual abuse material.
Four police operations were carried out between March and September, involving 17 countries from Latin America and Europe. Investigators executed 127 search warrants.
Interpol said the goal was to disrupt offenders who move between platforms and jurisdictions. “Behind every file is a child who was abused, and who is revictimized every time that image recirculates,” Stephen Fry, Interpol’s executive director for investigative support, said.
In Colombia, police rescued a 5-year-old child and arrested a parent alleged to have produced sexual abuse material of the child and sold it online. Interpol says an Interpol database helped link multiple files to the same victim, including material dating back to when the child was 1 year old.
In Ecuador, investigators reviewing a suspect from a chat group found more than 4,000 files, totalling around 15 gigabytes. In Panama, police arrested the administrator of a chat group used to distribute such material, with more than 700 users.
In Argentina, police arrested a suspect accused of sexually extorting minors and allegedly contacting more than 260 girls from various countries. Interpol says he allegedly increased demands for more explicit videos and images and threatened victims who refused.
Police said perpetrators increasingly use digital platforms to sexually exploit children, coordinate abuse and earn money from illegal content.
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Source:
Yahoo