PEDOPHILES SHARE NO specific profile. Peter Davies of Great Britain's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center said, "There is no particular rule about the age. There is no particular rule about the walk of life they are in. There is no particular profile of someone who is a threat to children in this way." And these sick people victimize children in their closest environment, in their friends or neighbors, even in their families.
EUROPE
In April 2002, Article 197 was introduced into the Swiss Penal Code, penalizing the possession of pornographic material depicting sexual acts with children, excrement, animals and violent sexual intercourse as illegal.
In 2008, the European Police (Europol) started arresting pedophile suspects after many months of surviellance yielded suspects. In an operation dubbed as Operation Rescue, it targeted an online network that used a Netherlands-based server with almost 70,000 members worldwide at its height. The server involved had since been taken down and its operator faced trial in a Durch court on 14 March 2011 (Tuesday).
In 2008, the European Police (Europol) started arresting pedophile suspects after many months of surviellance yielded suspects. In an operation dubbed as Operation Rescue, it targeted an online network that used a Netherlands-based server with almost 70,000 members worldwide at its height. The server involved had since been taken down and its operator faced trial in a Durch court on 14 March 2011 (Tuesday).
The webside, boylover.net, operated in public as a discussion-only forum where people could share their sexual interest in young boys without committing any specific offenses and operate below police radar. However when contacts had been made, many members moved on to more private channels (such as email) to exchange and share illegal immages and films of children being abused. (Computers that Europol seized yeield huge quantities of child abuse images and videos.) Europol experts cracked the Dutch-based server's sophisticated security features in 2010 to uncover this huge networl. It then issued more than 4,200 intelligence reports about the activities of teh network to more than 30 countries, mostly in Europe, enableing them to track down offenders and their victims.
As of 17 March 2011, Europol disclosed having rescued 230 children and arrested 184 of 670 suspects identified. A third of these arrests happened in Great Britain. The oldest of the suspects arrested so far was 84. One suspect arrested in Spain, worked with children at summer camps and is believed to have abused more than 100 in five years.
Countries involved in the probe have included Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Greece, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the United States.
ASIA
Philippines
In Cebu City, operatives of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Cebu City Police Office, with the help of tanods from San Nicolas village, arrested 28 March 2010 motorcycle dealer Romeo Lim Rañola inside a room in Prince Court Motel in Mabolo Village together with a 13-year-old girl who later sued him for child pornography and human trafficking.
Rañola frequented a fast food in San Nicolas where he pick up virgin girls for sex, and pay them P5,000 plus a cell phone. Investigation further revealed that victim families shut up after he paid them P100,000 each.
Authorities believed that Rañola belongs to a ring of pedophiles operating in the city.
Japan
The Internet Content Security Association, a group of internet providers established in March with 21 member companies, started blocking on April 21 access to child porn sites. Its nine member companies who did it include NEC Biglobe, NTT Communications, and KDDI, and accounts for about 50-70 percent of online households in Japan. Four major internet search sites, including Google and Yahoo! Japan, are ensuring that blocked sites will not appear in their search results.
More than 100 websites are subject to the block.
Law enforcers took action in 1,342 child porn cases in 2010, 43.2 percent up in previous year.
ASIA
Philippines
In Cebu City, operatives of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Cebu City Police Office, with the help of tanods from San Nicolas village, arrested 28 March 2010 motorcycle dealer Romeo Lim Rañola inside a room in Prince Court Motel in Mabolo Village together with a 13-year-old girl who later sued him for child pornography and human trafficking.
Rañola frequented a fast food in San Nicolas where he pick up virgin girls for sex, and pay them P5,000 plus a cell phone. Investigation further revealed that victim families shut up after he paid them P100,000 each.
Authorities believed that Rañola belongs to a ring of pedophiles operating in the city.
Japan
The Internet Content Security Association, a group of internet providers established in March with 21 member companies, started blocking on April 21 access to child porn sites. Its nine member companies who did it include NEC Biglobe, NTT Communications, and KDDI, and accounts for about 50-70 percent of online households in Japan. Four major internet search sites, including Google and Yahoo! Japan, are ensuring that blocked sites will not appear in their search results.
More than 100 websites are subject to the block.
Law enforcers took action in 1,342 child porn cases in 2010, 43.2 percent up in previous year.
Sources
AFP: "Japan internet providers block child porn," AFP News 21 April 2011
LCR: "Pedophile syndicate operating in Cebu: official," SunStar Cebu 30 March 2011
Mariette le Roux: "Police smash 'biggest' online pedophile ring," Agence France-Presse 17 March 2011
A Burke, S Sowerbutts, B Blundell, M Sherry: "Child Pornography and the Internet: Policing and Treatment Issues," Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 2002; 9:79-84
LCR: "Pedophile syndicate operating in Cebu: official," SunStar Cebu 30 March 2011
Mariette le Roux: "Police smash 'biggest' online pedophile ring," Agence France-Presse 17 March 2011
A Burke, S Sowerbutts, B Blundell, M Sherry: "Child Pornography and the Internet: Policing and Treatment Issues," Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 2002; 9:79-84
