Detenidas 16 personas en España por acceso a plataforma porno infantil
The Police National agents arrested 16 individuals in Spain, one of them in Alfaro (in Rioja), because they purchased access to a platform for child pornography from The Dark Network using cryptocurrency payments. This is an international investigation aimed at disrupting one of the world’s largest platforms for the distribution of pedophilic materials.
The investigation was coordinated by Europol and led by Germany, conducted in a total of 38 countries, resulting in 79 prisoners and 1,393 individuals identified.
Some of the prisoners not only uploaded and viewed videos but also abused minors. The investigation is still ongoing at this time.
In Spain, the operation unfolded in the provinces of Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Jaén, La Palmas, La Rioja, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Orense, Sevilla, Tarragona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Valencia, and Zaragoza.
The Spanish National Police conduct complex investigations in the fight against child sexual exploitation, such as those conducted on the dark web, designed to conceal the data moving within.
Among them, the Tor network, acronym for The Onion Router, which besides providing anonymity, offers a range of hidden services (like websites) with complex location and access. Within this effort, coordinated by Europol, a page serving as a repository for sexual exploitation records was discovered, continuously growing through user contributions.
It had nearly two million subscribers and 91,000 videos, increasing at a rate of more than three videos per hour. Users could register for free and purchase each video for high-quality online viewing or download. They could also obtain credits for further video purchases.
The German police led the main investigation and managed to locate and seize the server hosting these contents, gaining access to payment data for each user.
However, cryptocurrency payments are designed to be anonymous, making it challenging to trace buyers. Sophisticated tracking systems were employed to trace transactions back to the bank details of each individual.
In Spain, 17 individuals purchased videos, with one of them also uploading content to the platform. According to the Spanish National Police, individuals willing to pay for such content are «beyond mere consumers of sexual exploitation materials.»
The demonstrated use of the dark web indicates both computer knowledge and involvement in child pornography, suggesting long-term consumption by those involved.
This investigation received priority due to the nature of the consumers involved, restricting access to illegal content and pages used by these individuals.
Once all information was gathered, in collaboration with various territorial teams, the arrests were scheduled between the 10th and 14th of March. After the completion of the financial investigation, Germany was to shut down the site and issue an official notification.
Under the protection and coordination of the Spanish National Police, 15 searches were conducted at various locations. The sole distributor in Spain, a computer student, was arrested, found with a significant amount of child pornography, links to the main investigation page, other child pornography sites, payment evidence, and personal data.
In Alicante, a self-employed individual was arrested, found with evidence of payment to the investigated page and drug possession. Over 700 ecstasy pills and €42,000 in cash were seized. They were remanded in custody by the judge overseeing the case.
In Almería, a Moroccan citizen naturalized in Spain was apprehended, in possession of a large amount of computerized materials. Barcelona had two separate targets, both found with child pornography on their devices and evidence of payments. Both were taken to court.
In Arrecife (Las Palmas), another investigation led to the arrest of a Madrid resident in Lanzarote, found with payment evidence. In Alfaro (La Rioja), the detainee had evidence of payments and corresponding requests. The evidence matched other data, such as the email used.
In Madrid, one target had abundant child pornography and payment evidence, along with the use of Tor, leading to their arrest. The other individual, although lacking images, had payment data under investigation, not resulting in an arrest.
The investigator in Málaga relocated to La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz), where they were located and arrested. Although no child pornography was found at the time of the search, sufficient payment indications and a spontaneous admission of guilt led to the arrest. A dentist in Murcia was targeted, with searches conducted at both their home and clinic, revealing substantial evidence, including payment records and images of sexually exploited children stored on a USB drive for discretion.
The individual in charge in Orense was working in Madrid and was arrested on Sunday while driving, despite no immediate evidence found, further material is to be analyzed. They were arrested and processed according to the appropriate procedures.
The detainee in Sevilla used both their name and their mother’s for payments, initially confusing investigators. Once clarified that the individual responsible was the son, not the mother, two searches were conducted, finding payment evidence in both locations.
In Tarragona, the identified consumer suffered from severe mental disabilities, including psychosis and hallucinations. They were found with payment evidence and images of children generated by artificial intelligence. Due to their special circumstances, they weren’t arrested but were interviewed as part of the investigation. In Tenerife, an individual was found with a plethora of child pornography in various instant messaging chats, utilizing cloud storage services for payments.
Finally, in Zaragoza, an individual was discovered with a significant amount of child pornography and payment evidence via cryptocurrencies, admitting to the charges in their statement. Regarding the other searches, the target in Valencia had relocated to Paris, while the Jaén investigation did not result in an arrest.
FUENTE
