Europeans who spread images of child sexual abuse fall

At least 57 men aged between 23 and 72, including school teachers, were arrested on suspicion of “possessing and sharing depictions of child sexual abuse”during a European operation that also managed to save several children who could have been victims of those arrested.

As the Europol agency announced this Friday, 27 European countries, led by Denmark, France and Poland, participated in the operation, and the arrested were all men, of various professions, with an average age of 49 (although the youngest is 23 and the oldest is 72), four are teachers, and one works with children with developmental disabilities.

They were arrested for “downloading and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials using peer-to-peer (P2P) networks” and at the same time they possess “manuals on how to commit sexual abuse”, two characteristics that make them considered “valuable targets” for Europol.

“They should be more inclined to physically abuse children. The 57 national investigations into the crimes committed by those arrested will also be the starting point for future police actions, and further arrests and seizures are expected across Europe,” the European Police Coordination Agency said.

A training course in Denmark on joint investigative techniques and subsequent operations took place in September 2023, but details can only be released now as the investigation is still ongoing.

Agents learned to investigate “perpetrators suspected of abusing their own children or at least possessing and distributing material depicting child sexual abuse” and seizing “more than 100,000 illegal files”, But since the forensic examination of the seized digital devices is still ongoing, investigators estimate that “more than a million images and videos in total” will be found and seized.

Some of the arrested suspects had direct access to children through their profession, while ten have children of their own.

“At least one child was saved from the continuation of physical abuse, the other children can be considered protected from possible abuse”, points out Europol, which keeps in mind that “every child counts and every saved child makes a big difference”.