Law Enforcement Apprehends 20 Individuals in Connection with Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Law enforcement agencies from more than a dozen countries have apprehended 20 individuals as part of a coordinated international effort aimed at combatting the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Beginning in late 2024, the Spanish National Police identified several instant messaging groups involved in the dissemination of child sexual exploitation imagery. This discovery prompted alerts to other nations via INTERPOL and Europol, subsequently identifying 88 potential suspects across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

In December 2024, INTERPOL invited Spanish investigators to Chile to participate in the Latin America Victim Identification Task Force meeting. During this convening, they presented Operation Vibora to law enforcement officials from various Latin American countries, facilitating the exchange of case information, actionable leads, and the launching of synchronized actions.

In a joint operation, Spanish authorities arrested seven suspects, which included an educator charged with distributing CSAM online and a healthcare professional alleged to have compensated minors from Eastern Europe for such material. This operation culminated in the seizure of numerous computers, mobile phones, and additional electronic devices.

Within Latin America, INTERPOL contributed to the accommodation of ten more arrests across seven countries, including three detentions in El Salvador and one in Panama involving another educator. Further arrests were also executed in Europe and the United States.

Earlier Operations Targeting CSAM Platforms

Earlier this year, a significant joint investigation led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria and Bavarian cybercrime prosecutors resulted in the dismantling of Kidflix, one of the dark web’s largest platforms for child sexual abuse material. Dubbed Operation Stream, this initiative led to the arrest of 79 individuals, the identification of 1,393 suspects, and the confiscation of over 3,000 electronic devices between March 10 and March 23, 2025.

In February, law enforcement officials from 19 nations executed a coordinated operation that resulted in the arrest of 25 suspects tied to a major criminal network distributing AI-generated CSAM. This operation also identified 273 individuals as members of the criminal syndicate and involved the seizure of 173 devices.

Additionally, thousands of individuals who had engaged in the sharing and downloading of CSAM were identified last year through intelligence provided by Recorded Future’s Insikt Group, leveraging data from information-stealing malware logs discovered on the dark web. This critical information was supplied to law enforcement authorities to facilitate the identification and capture of these offenders.