Police swoop on more Net child pornographers

Largest ever UK operation - 13 arrested

By Kieren McCarthy • Get more from this author

Posted in Media, 17th January 2001 15:25 GMT

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Police have arrested 13 people in relation to child porn and seized 27 computers in the largest raid seen so far in the UK. The suspected paedophiles were nabbed by the Met following a huge operation involving 13 forces.

The material seized is said to be particularly distasteful and the officer in charge - Bob McLachlan of the Met's paedophile division - suggested that it was the police's expertise in Internet tracking that enabled the offenders to be caught.

"Today's operation is the result of an intelligence led operation targeted at stemming the distribution of child pornography via the Internet," McLachlan said. "Images like these are evidence of the sexual assault and rape of children - and anyone who buys or downloads them perpetuates the cycle of abuse. We know that the Internet is increasingly used as a conduit for the exchange of pornographic pictures of children. Those responsible believe that the Internet affords anonymity, but police technology in this area is increasingly sophisticated."

Well done the boys in blue, we say. At least some of the police are up to scratch with the Net. ®