Cdn. police help bust ....

worldwide pedophile ring...
Canadian police were part of a massive operation that busted an alleged
web pedophile ring with more than 300 members worldwide.
The London-based Child Exploitation and
Online Protection Centre (Ceop), which led the operation, said a
number of children had been rescued from abuse.
The key suspects were from the U.K. and a number of arrests
had been made, Ceop chief executive Jim Gamble said.
"The CEOP Centre can confirm it is currently engaged in a live
investigation relating to an online area believed to be used by a
significant number of individuals with a sexual interest in
children," Ceop said in a statement.
Ceop spokesperson Sarah Shakespeare told CTV.ca that
Canadian officers, along with those from Britain, the U.S., and
Australia, were involved in the undercover operation.
But Ceop could not provide further details, saying the
investigation is ongoing with the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) and
that authorities continue to work to identify and trace suspects.
"For this reason, we are unable to disclose further details, or
an arrest breakdown at this stage. However we can confirm this
inquiry relates to suspects both in the U.K. and abroad," Ceop said.
The British-led VGT is made up of a partnership of agencies from
around the world, including the RCMP, that works together to
protect children from online child abuse.
Gamble said since Ceop was set up last April, its work has led
to 27 predatory pedophiles being placed into custody and
about 70 children safeguarded from abuse.
It also has 18 investigations currently under way to identify
child sex victims from clues given away in abuse photographs.
Ceop is a government agency affiliated to Britain's Serious
Organized Crime Agency.
The news coincides with a major VGT conference that has
opened in Washington, DC.
Earlier this month, Austrian investigators announced they
uncovered one of the largest Internet child-porn rings in
history, involving 2,300 people and possibly more than
100 Canadians.
Toronto police say with advances in storage and online
technology, the amount of child pornography being seized
by police is skyrocketing.
Det. Sgt. Scanlan of the Toronto child exploitation section
said investigators viewed about two million such images
last year alone.


It is comforting to know some of our police are busy
trying to make a difference in this world...