Almost 900 arrested in `one of the most important` child abuse investigations

Europol has rushed to the defence of law enforcement agencies criticised for using “proportionate means” to take down a global online child sexual exploitation ring. More than 120 people in the UK have been arrested as part of an ongoing operation that has resulted in 870 arrests worldwide – with almost 400 suspected paedophiles detained in Europe. A two-year investigation into one of the largest known child sexual abuse websites has targeted 150,000 users. Operation Pacifier was launched by the FBI in January 2015, with the support of Europol, to track down members of ‘Playpen’ – a site on the dark web which allows its users to access a wide range of child exploitation pictures and videos. The FBI is known to have used malware to hack into more than 1,000 computers. But Steven Wilson, head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, said the use of “proportionate means” to tackle online child sexual abuse was now necessary in an increasingly sophisticated digital landscape. “Those individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children are becoming increasingly forensically aware and are actively using the most advanced forms of anonymisation and encryption to avoid detection,” he said. “The internet has no boundaries and does not recognise borders. We need to balance the rights of victims versus the right to privacy. If we operate 19th century legal principles then we are unable to effectively tackle crime at the highest level.” The National Crime Agency (NCA) said its activity in relation to Operation Pacifier has led to more than 120 people being arrested in the UK and more than half of those being charged. In addition, more than 140 sexually abused children in the UK were identified and safeguarded, rising to 259 across Europe. Last week, the creator and lead administrator of Playpen, US-born Steven Chase, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. And in July 2015, a further two men from the US associated with the creation the illicit site were arrested – Michael Fluckiger and David Browning – and have since been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Europol’s executive director, Rob Wainwright added: “Europol is pleased to have played its part in what ranks as one of the most important investigations of online child sexual abuse ever conducted. “I applaud the great work of the FBI and our many other law enforcement partners in Europe and beyond for their cooperation on a global scale to tackle such a serious and challenging public safety issue. “As the operation shows the investigation of criminal activity on anonymised platforms has now become an essential part of law enforcement’s fight against serious and organised crime, something to which Europol remains firmly committed.” The NCA said international collaboration is “crucial” in cases such as this. “Child abuse knows no boundaries and the law enforcement response mirrors that – we work closely with international partners to ensure information or intelligence relating to child abuse images is shared to identify and hold to account those involved,” it added.