Washington: An international child pornography ring, which produced sexually explicit images of babies and toddlers online, has been busted, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said.
"This operation uncovered a dangerous and depraved group of criminals who were devoted to trading sexually explicit images of children under the age of five," The Daily Mail quoted Assistant US Attorney General Lanny Breuer, as saying. Over 20 suspects have been arrested in nine states, and the authorities are investigating more suspects in the US, as well as in Sweden, Serbia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Seven Americans have been convicted and sentenced on various charges in the case, including three who were sentenced in federal court in Indianapolis. First Assistant US Attorney Josh Minkler said that more than two-dozen young children in Indiana, other states and other countries were abused in the production of the pornography.
Operation ''Bulldog'' came to light in November 2010 with the arrest of David Bostic, 26. Federal, state and local investigators raided Bostic's home in Bloomington, Indiana, and recovered hundreds of images and videos from his computer of children between the age of two months and four years engaged in sexual acts.
He was later convicted on 65 counts and sentenced to 315 years in prison. Further investigation of Bostic's computer led investigators to others in the group.
Breuer said: "Child pornography rings pose a threat to children around the world and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who participate in such groups."
The case was a result of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
ANI
First Published: Friday, June 08, 2012, 23:37