Law enforcement agencies across Europe have arrested 112 people in 22 countries suspected of setting up  file-sharing networks of child pornography.

The investigation, “Operation Icarus,” spanned 26 countries coordinated by Europol and identified an additional 157 suspects.

The operation focused on perpetrators who share extreme video material, especially babies and toddlers subject to rape and sexual abuse, according to a news release from Europol. Previously unknown networks of child sex offenders using the Internet to spread such material were uncovered.

“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,” Rob Wainwright, director of Europol 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.”

Wainwright said Europol will identify those who produce the material as well as try to identify the victims.  According to the statement, the arrested included a man suspected of grooming a young child for participation in sex acts.

“These children are victims of multiple crimes. First, when the actual abuse takes place. Then, when it is filmed. And, thereafter, every time the images are posted, circulated or viewed,” said Cecilia Malmström, EU commissioner for home affairs.

Operation Icarus is the first operation concluded under a new action plan of the Internet Related Child Abuse Material Project (CIRCAMP), an initiative by EU police chiefs led by Belgium and funded by the European Commission.

The National High Tech Crime Unit of the Danish Police took the lead in the investigation because of expertise in illegal material exchange through file sharing systems.

“Law enforcement agencies have to work together to combat the growing threat of cybercrimes against children, and we have to use the most advanced technology available,” said Jens Henrik Hoejbjerg, Danish national commissioner of police. He emphasized the sheer magnitude of material showing child sexual abuse on the Internet.

“For example,” he said, “one of the Danish suspects had 29 terabytes of data that we confiscated. This is an incredible amount of data for our investigators to handle. To put it into perspective, that could hold about 9,000 hours of high-quality video.”.

Suspects were arrested in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland. 

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