A joint operation between the FBI and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has led to the arrest of 98 individuals in the United States and Australia as part of a wide-ranging child sex abuse investigation. The probe was initiated following the deaths of two US federal agents in 2021.
During a joint press conference, the FBI and AFP announced that 19 people in Australia and 79 in the US are currently in custody, all facing charges related to an alleged child abuse ring that operated across multiple countries. The suspects were said to have utilized a sophisticated online network on the dark web to anonymously share illicit files.
According to AFP Commander Helen Schneider, some of the accused individuals had been involved in these activities for over a decade. She revealed that many of the Australian suspects held occupations that required a high level of knowledge about online networks, enabling them to avoid detection.
Commander Schneider stated that two of the Australian men have already been convicted, while the FBI’s legal attaché, Nitiana Mann, revealed that there have been an additional 43 convictions in the United States. The investigation has also resulted in the rescue of at least 13 children who were in harm’s way.
Mann emphasized the complexity of the operation and the need for international cooperation, stating, “The complexity and anonymity of these platforms means that no agency or country can fight these threats alone.” She also mentioned that the FBI had shared intelligence about suspects in other countries with the respective authorities.
The investigation began in 2021 after FBI special agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were fatally shot while serving a search warrant in Florida. The incident led the FBI to uncover evidence of a larger international pedophile network. The bureau subsequently provided information about potential Australian members to the AFP. The resulting joint operation, known as ‘Operation Bakis,’ is still ongoing, and Commander Schneider stressed that more arrests could be made in the future.
As a result of the investigation, over 200 international leads have been shared with authorities in other countries, leading to the launch of more than 300 separate child sex abuse investigations.
The magnitude of this operation highlights the need for collaborative efforts to combat the global issue of child sex abuse. By working together, international law enforcement agencies can more effectively track down and bring to justice those involved in these heinous crimes.
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