On 5 November 2007, Europol and Eurojust released details of their successful joint operation to dismantle a worldwide child sex offender network. In this coordinated action, 2,500 customers in 19 countries were identified and thousands of computers, videos and photographs were seized. The operation has resulted in 92 arrests.

The case was opened in 2006 when a child abuse video was discovered in Australia. The video had been produced in Belgium by an Italian national who was subsequently arrested. After this arrest, the Italian authorities forwarded all the digitalised material they recovered, including customer details, to Europol. The material was analysed and disseminated to the countries in which customers were identified. Consequently, national authorities initiated their own investigations.

Europol’s Director, Max-Peter Ratzel, said: “This successful investigation has been extremely time-consuming, but the fact that the perpetrators behind these outrageous assaults towards children now are facing justice makes every hour used worth it”.

Both Europol and Eurojust are based in The Hague. Europol is the European Police Office, which improves the effectiveness and cooperation of the competent authorities in the EU Member States in preventing serious forms of international organised crime.

Eurojust was established in 2002 as a permanent network of judicial authorities. It coordinates cooperation between investigators and prosecutors from different Member States and deals with individual cases at a strategic level.

Press release