Feds Bust Largest Child Pornography Website in World
Federal agents have brought down an international ring of child pornographers and what they are describing as the largest social network of child pornographers in the world.
Federal investigators stumbled on to the world's largest known online gathering place for child pornographers when they arrested a site member living in Alabama on charges related to a separate investigation. Authorities used the Alabama suspect's User ID to infiltrate the social networking website, which was entirely password protected and aggressively monitored by the site's administrators and other members.
The ring leader of the site is Delwin Savigar, who is serving a 14-year prison term in England for sexually assaulting three underage girls. The investigation into the website began in 2008 and at that time there were nearly 500 subscribers who were actively sharing photos, information and advice about child pornography.
So far, at least 35 convictions have resulted from the operation and there are cases pending both in the United States and abroad. Suspects are being investigated in all 50 states and there are still charges yet to be filed. Authorities employed a top-down approach with the sting operation, nabbing Savigar and several other high-ranking members of the social network, as well as site administrators and monitors.
Authorities describe the site as a social network, much more so than simply a site that posted illicit child pornography. Although there were pictures posted to the site by its members, there was more of an emphasis on sharing information about where and how to find child pornography, as well as how to avoid detection by the authorities.
The ring leader of the site is Delwin Savigar, who is serving a 14-year prison term in England for sexually assaulting three underage girls. The investigation into the website began in 2008 and at that time there were nearly 500 subscribers who were actively sharing photos, information and advice about child pornography.
So far, at least 35 convictions have resulted from the operation and there are cases pending both in the United States and abroad. Suspects are being investigated in all 50 states and there are still charges yet to be filed. Authorities employed a top-down approach with the sting operation, nabbing Savigar and several other high-ranking members of the social network, as well as site administrators and monitors.
Authorities describe the site as a social network, much more so than simply a site that posted illicit child pornography. Although there were pictures posted to the site by its members, there was more of an emphasis on sharing information about where and how to find child pornography, as well as how to avoid detection by the authorities.
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