USA: U.S. AND EUROPEAN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE BREAK-UP OF INTERNATIONAL PAEDOPHILE RING.
Record ID:
648371
USA: U.S. AND EUROPEAN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE BREAK-UP OF INTERNATIONAL PAEDOPHILE RING.
- Title: USA: U.S. AND EUROPEAN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE BREAK-UP OF INTERNATIONAL PAEDOPHILE RING.
- Date: 10th August 2002
- Summary: (W6) WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (AUGUST 9, 2002) (REUTERS--ACCESS ALL) 1. SV/MV: WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE; CAMERAMEN (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. MCU: SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER ROBERT C. BONNER, SAYING: "That when the parents are the abusers, then the government must step in with all of its might. With the images now distributed on the internet these 45 children who suffered abuse at the hands of those charged in this case will continue to suffer because these images will be on the internet for years and years to come - passed from paedophile to paedophile. This is a crime that never ends. I have seen some horrendous crimes, by the way, in my time in federal law enforcement and as a federal prosecutor and as a federal judge but these crimes are beyond the pale. They are despicable and repulsive." 0.59 3. GV/PAN: PAN FROM MEDIA TO PODIUM 1.05 4. MCU: SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER ROBERT C. BONNER, SAYING: "According to the allegations of the indictment, the individuals indicted today as part of the conspiracy to sexually exploit children in violation of federal law circulated these child pornographic images between and among themselves e-mailed each other the images they wanted to see and at least in one case exchanged children to be sexually abused and depicted." 1.31 5. GV:WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.36 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th August 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA8MQV6DMJPXKTEXMFC6IU0XSPB
- Story Text: U.S. and European law-enforcement officials have
arrested 20 people who sexually abused their children and
traded photographs and tips over the Internet, the U.S.
Customs Service said.
The cross-border sweep removed 45 children from their
abusive parents, 37 of them in the United States, Customs said
on Friday (August 9).
Authorities say the parents traded photos of themselves
sexually abusing their own children and shared tips in online
chat rooms.
"According to the allegations of the indictment, the
individuals indicted today as part of the conspiracy to
sexually exploit children in violation of federal law
circulated these child pornographic images between and among
themselves e-mailed each other the images they wanted to see
and at least in one case exchanged children to be sexually
abused and depicted," U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C
Bonner said a a media briefing.
"That when the parents are the abusers, then the
government must step in with all of its might. With the images
now distributed on the internet these 45 children who suffered
abuse at the hands of those charged in this case will continue
to suffer because these images will be on the internet for
years and years to come - passed from paedophile to
paedophile. This is a crime that never ends. I have seen some
horrendous crimes, by the way, in my time in federal law
enforcement and as a federal prosecutor and as a federal judge
but these crimes are beyond the pale. They are despicable and
repulsive," he said.
Half of those arrested lived in the United States, while
the rest lived in Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, England,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and France.
They have been charged with conspiring to sexually
exploit children, sexual exploitation of children and
receiving and distributing materials involving the sexual
exploitation of minors. Some 37 of the children, aged between
two and 14, were US citizens, Bonner said.
The swoop followed a 10-month investigation following a
tip-off to Danish police by Save The Children.
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