NSW: Australian police, FBI smash child porn ring: report

AAP General News (Australia)
09-30-2004
NSW: Australian police, FBI smash child porn ring: report

SYDNEY, Sept 30 AAP - Australian police have smashed an international internet child
pornography ring with raids on more than 400 homes across Australia.

It was the biggest-ever child pornography bust by the Australian Federal Police (AFP),
The Australian said, and followed a tip-off from US authorities earlier this year.

Among those charged already are senior defence officals, government employees and police,
the newspaper said.

Police have seized hundreds of computers containing images of toddlers being sexually
abused, the paper said. The raids are the first wave of an operation that will eventually
target 700 suspects, it said.

The federal and state police have executed warrants and have searched homes in every
state and territory for several weeks. The paper said it believed people had already faced
court in some states.

Among the discoveries was a "virtual library" of pornographic images of children.

Police in Western Australia yesterday raided properties around the state, the newspaper
said, adding that state and federal police had last night refused to comment on the operation.

The Australian High-Tech Crime Centre began the investigation earlier this year after
a tip-off from US authorities involved in an international investigation into child pornography
named Operation Falcon.

An AFP spokesman last night refused to give any details, saying the operation was ongoing
but that an announcement would be made in Canberra this morning.

Child welfare agency Child Wise, part of an international campaign to end the exploitation
and sexual abuse of children, has hailed the reported success of the operation.

But spokesman Jenny Burgess told Nine news yesterday that child porn rings could regroup
as quickly as they were smashed.

"It's a despicable crime that child pornography exists and is so prevalent," Ms Burgess said.

"Every image shows an abused child and every person that looks at those images is,
in fact, an abuser.

"(But) I think it's extremely difficult - they are getting more and more sophisticated."

AAP cmc/cdh

KEYWORD: PORN LEAD

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