Authorities said this week that almost 100 people have been detained in Australia and the United States in relation to a global internet child abuse network that was unearthed after the high-profile killing of two FBI agents.
What Happened?
The numerous accusations of child abuse are related to the murders of two FBI special agents, Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, who died in 2021 while carrying out a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida, on an individual who was allegedly connected to a case involving violent crimes against children.
On February 2, 2021, while executing a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida, FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger and FBI Special Agent Dan Alfin were both fatally shot in the course of duty.
In a recent press release, the agency said that 19 Australians, whose ages vary from 32 to 81, were charged for allegedly participating in a “sophisticated” digital network. According to investigators, members are suspected of creating, locating, and disseminating photographs and videos of child abuse on the dark web.
More Than 100 Allegations
138 charges are being brought against the individuals, who were detained across Australia, including in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.
Source: cbs news
A defendant who federal police identified as a “public servant” was previously given a 14 1/2 year jail sentence in June after pleading guilty to 24 crimes. The same month, a contact center employee on the NSW Central Coast who admitted to owning an estimated five gigabytes of child abuse data was given a five-year term.
The federal police noted that alleged users of the online platform “used software to anonymously share files, chat on message boards, and access websites within the network.” They also noted that the majority of the suspects in Australia held positions that required a high level of knowledge in the field of information communications technology. The individuals are charged with hiding their identities online and evading law enforcement by utilizing tools like encryption.
According to the Associated Press, Mann claimed that the FBI informed authorities in other nations about other individuals in those nations who are allegedly related to the internet child abuse ring, but he did not specify which nations.
