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Scotland Yard is using cutting edge technology to arrest an average of three child-porn offenders a week in one of the biggest operations of its kind.
The computer software has been developed in America and allows investigators to monitor suspects as they watch child porn images.
So far about 200 people have been arrested throughout Britain with suspects being caught red-handed by police in their homes. Offenders have included a bus driver for mentally handicapped children, a Sunday School teacher and a scout leader.
Police use the software to search file-sharing networks for images of child pornography being offered to paedophiles. Investigators can locate files containing child porn images even if they are hidden — and then identify the computer's unique internet address.
A new computer crime unit in Scotland Yard's Clubs and Vice squad can monitor suspects as they share and download images online. The initiative has sparked one of the most significant online paedophile inquiries since the Operation Ore investigation which resulted in the prosecution of 2,600 British men.
In the past two weeks police have swooped on nine suspects at addresses around London. A further 25 people are on bail pending enquires.
More than 200 computers have been “captured” recording child porn. Police say the majority of those arrested have never come to their attention before. Investigators found thousands of people sharing images of child porn in a 30-day period. Hundreds are in London.
Detective Sergeant Richard Matthews, who heads the unit, said: “The scale of the problem is worrying. We can only target the most prolific offenders but if anyone shows any sign of being an abuser they become an immediate priority.”
In one recent case the unit identified a 29-year-old offender in Wiltshire which led to 25 child abuse victims under the age of 13 being identified and rescued from online grooming.
Police have doubled the number of officers in the computer unit to handle the extra workload from the initiative, named Operation Caiman.
Detectives say it can be as little as two weeks between identifying people who are offering to distribute material to officers raiding their home and seizing computer equipment.
Many people attempt to disguise their files but officers have become expert at identifying the digital footprint of offenders.
Those arrested include people from all walks of life. The bus driver for mentally handicapped children had already had complaints made against him, but because of the difficulty of using the children's evidence no action had been taken until now.
Det Sgt Matthews said: “Often there is a great relief when we come through the door. One man admitted that he was pleased he had been caught.
“We have gone into people's addresses and caught them in the act of downloading and viewing this material. Once we have identified who is looking at these images then we can look for evidence that they are doing more than watching it but are also involved in abusing children.”
Offenders have received sentences ranging from three months for being caught viewing child pornography to eight years for child sex assaults.
The technology is being rolled out across the UK and the Met and the National Police Improvement Agency has so far trained 100 officers from regional and international forces.
Last year computer worker Dominic Khan, 21, was jailed for 18 months at Southend crown court after half a million indecent images of children were found on computers when police raided his home in Hornchurch, Essex.
Reader views (14)
Please do your reseach before you make a comment otherwise it shows how thick you are. Prisoners in the UK serving time for sexual offences of Child porn do NOT get early release. 3 months is three months!!!!
Some are are abused by the syatem just like they abused or contributed to abuse. Mental health issues are ignored totally or evne why did they do the crime. They have no help whatsoever because of ignorant unprofessional probation services or prisons.
I abhore the fact of child porn but lets be realistic and ask why is there so many, is it an illness or what. Are we the cause maybe. Are you the cause due to your abuse of your chilren at a younger stage? Most likely true as this is waht usually comes up when invesigation happens. The offender was abused themselves by you the parents. Case rests.......Off the box now.
- Codger, uk, 14/02/2010 13:50
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There is a very good reason they never publish actual conviction rates for these alleged crimes. It's because they are notoriously poor. I have unfortunately been the victim of over-zealous police investigating this crime where someone tapped into my wireless router. The basis for arrest - 4 video files of legitimate adult porn that was deleted - of a 24yo actress! 10 months of pure hell, no restitution because they do not put things right.
How can you put right 10 months of vigilate attacks on yourself and your 7yo child! How can you put right spending thousands on a defence where you don't get it back. how can you put right a trashed reputation for something you didn't do! Operation Centurion in Australia, 303 search warrants, 100 arrests, 62 convictions - an astounding 79% failure rate by the police! Something isn't right here, 241 people wrongfully accused, and that's just in one operation! There is NEVER a presumption of innocence in these cases, I know, I've been there! And I can't sue the cops in this country, we don't even have any Human Rights here!
If the truth be known, the FBI and other police services own most of the child porn out there, they use them in Honeypot sites and the like to entrap folks. The police use the few successes they have to grandstand in order to get more funding - that's the real reason they do this, not to save children. What about my children who were harmed as a result of what the cops did to me!
- Kk, Australia, 26/10/2009 17:53
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Silly comment, Mark, Swansea. That's like saying if there weren't drugs available there wouldn't be a drug problem. They bad guys PROVIDE FOR THE MARKET THAT'S OUT THERE!!! That's why the police are there, doing what they are doing. It is tempting, if not totally accurate I concede, to suggest that about the only people who complain about police activities are the people who want less restrictions on what THEY can do in their chosen pasttimes.
The other comment about some being labelled undeservedly? If we had a perfect world we wouldn't be having to worry about stopping this blight on civilisation. It ain't perfect, so some innocents (or mostly innocents) are going to be caught up with the hard core bad guys. Again not perfect, but something can be done to put that more or less right. The alternative is to do NOTHING - I know which I prefer.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/10/2009 15:53
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Mark, are you really as thick as your comment suggests ?
Fact - most file-sharing networks try to throw out / ban users that share filth of this type, although images of violent crimes, murders, rape and other types of abuse are still common.
Are these illegal and do we need to get involved in censoring them too ?
Given the undercurrent of humanity shown up in these activities, it seems there may be a lot more sicko's out there than anyone realises.
- Madmax, London, 09/10/2009 15:32
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Well I'm going to praise Scotland Yard: this is not spying on the general citizenry of the country as they go about their daily business - it is targeting some very, very nasty people. Whilst the generally standard of policing of 'ordinary' crime in the UK I'd say is unimpressive, some of these specialist units do an incredible - and not easy - job.
- Roz, France, 09/10/2009 14:12
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In China they block out all this stuff (and more of course!)here they allow it and then arrest those that watch it. Why can't we just police the internet and get rid of all porn. If a site is racist it is closed down within hours why not other subject matter?
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 09/10/2009 13:55
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All the country needs now is more police watching child-porn sites
- Keith Price, Luton England, 09/10/2009 13:29
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Justin Davenport refers to Operation Ore which, in fact, turned out to be a huge miscarriage of justice because victims of identity theft were branded as paedophiles. The bungled application of the present software developed by Flint Waters in the United States could develop into an even worse travesty.
- Peter, Somerset, 09/10/2009 13:15
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Thankfully most people (including paedophiles) have never even heard of secure proxy servers.
- Bob, Cheam, 09/10/2009 12:29
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spy software?
All you need is a download tool ie Limewire!
- Josh, London, 09/10/2009 11:31
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@ Mark, Swansea
Unfortunately it is not as easy as you think, things are far more complicated than just 'pressing a button'.
I think the Police would be very happy if they did not have a need for a section to deal with this issue let alone 'needs their praises' about it.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/10/2009 11:16
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Mark in Swansea, there is a small problem of international borders and the fact that we live in a free country. Unfortunately this freedom comes at a price and certain individuals exploit these privileges; that is why we have a police force.
- Dannyp, Egham, 09/10/2009 10:58
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Why on earth have this spy software to catch these scum bags. This sort of material should not be available for these sick people to view in the first place. The government can just press a button and this material will disappear. I suppose scotland yard needs their praises from some where.
- Mark, Swansea, 09/10/2009 10:35
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A prison sentence of three months for viewing child pornography - of which the offender would serve six weeks at the most.
There is something fundamentally wrong with the justice system in the UK - the biggest problem being Jackboot Straw and the other chinless muppets at the Ministry of Justice.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 09/10/2009 09:28
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