Police in Britain arrested more than 30 suspected Internet paedophiles on Monday in a swoop targeting computer users accessing pay-per-view child sex websites based in the United States.
US authorities tipped off the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the operation was co-ordinated by the National Crime Squad, Britain’s answer to the FBI.
Thirty police forces across the country were involved in the operation, codenamed Ore, and around 50 houses and flats were searched.
It was not clear from police exactly how many people were arrested, but police indicated it was more than 30.
Arrests were made in London, Liverpool in the northwest, Wakefield in the north and Grimsby in the east.
The websites, which are not being named at this stage for operational reasons, acted as a shop window to other sites carrying similar images.
Those wishing to buy images had to give details of their credit cards, including billing addresses, and were sent an e-mail from the website with a user login and unique password.
Following the US tip-off, British detectives obtained details of customers who had subscribed to the websites between May 1999 and the summer of 2001.
Carole Howlett, of London’s Metropolitan Police, said: ”Today’s arrests have been a national response to a growing problem. There is also evidence that a significant proportion of people involved in child abuse online are themselves actual abusers”.
She called for the development of a coordinated, structured effort working with government, law enforcement agencies in other countries and the Internet services industry. ? Sapa-AFP