Authorities in Australia and the United States have orchestrated a major crackdown on an international online child abuse ring, resulting in the arrest of nearly 100 people..
The operation was launched following the tragic murder of two FBI agents, a case that led investigators to reveal a deeply disturbing network involved in distributing child abuse material online.
The investigation gained momentum after the untimely deaths of FBI special agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger. In 2021, officers were fatally shot while executing a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida.
The warrant targeted a suspect allegedly linked to violent crimes against children. This tragedy acted as a catalyst for a comprehensive international investigation into a illicit online platformwhich researchers say facilitated the sharing of child abuse material on the dark web.
Operation Bakis against child abuse
The Australian Federal Police have revealed that this joint effort, dubbed “Operation Bakis”, has led to the arrest of 79 people associated with online child abuse ring.
Nineteen Australians, ranging in age from 32 to 81, were recently indicted for their alleged involvement in what the agency described in a press release as a “sophisticated” digital network. The members are believed to have produced, searched for and distributed images and videos of child abuse material on the dark web, authorities said.
This network was allegedly involved in the creation, distribution, and search of explicit images and videos involving minors. The investigation, which involved state and local authorities in various parts of Australia, paralleled a similar operation led by the FBI in the United States.
The suspects detained in Australia face a total of 138 charges related to their involvement with the illicit online platform.
Suspected members of the network used encryption and anonymous file-sharing software to operate within the shadowy confines of the dark web, evading detection.
Just last week, it was reported that a former Australian childcare worker will face 1,600 charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of 91 children, in a case that has not yet been linked to the network described above.
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