Parents charged in paedophile ring

A network of parents who sexually molested their own children and traded pictures of them on the internet has been cracked by American and European investigators, the US customs service said yesterday as it announced 20 arrests on both sides of the Atlantic.

Robert Bonner, the US customs commissioner, said that 45 children aged between two and 14 - eight from Europe and 37 from the US - had been removed from the custody of those arrested, and most were now with other relatives or in foster care. Eighty per cent of them had been molested by their own parents, Mr Bonner said, adding: "I've rarely seen crimes as despicable and repugnant."

The paedophile ring, whose members referred to it as "the club", was discovered when a worker for Save the Children in Denmark found a picture on the internet of a Danish man molesting his nine-year-old daughter. The man's face was hidden, but he was identified by the corporate logo on his clothing, leading authorities to his home, where they arrested him and his wife and found information on their computer which guided them to other participants.

The far-reaching investigation that followed was a collaboration between the US and Danish police, and encompassed Britain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as several American states.

Ten Americans have been charged since January, while the US is seeking the extradition of six people from Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Four more had been arrested abroad, the customs service said. None are British, but officials said more arrests would probably follow.