Global Child Porn Sting Nets 14 Americans

FBI: Online Child Porn Network One Of Most Sophisticated Ever; Victims As Young As 5

(CBS/AP)  After James Freeman was vetted and approved for membership in what police describe as a highly sophisticated child porn network, he expressed his appreciation by posting two folders online: one labeled "mild," the other "wild."

"All I can say is that they are worth the download," wrote Freeman, known in the global porn ring as "Mystikal," according to court documents. "My thanks to you and all the others that together make this the greatest group of pedos ever to gather in one place."

Freeman was one of 12 Americans indicted last week in a worldwide investigation that ultimately charged 22 people with participating in the porn ring - and intentionally blocking police from investigating it.

In all, more than 400,000 pictures, video files and other images showing children engaged in sexual behavior were produced, advertised, traded and distributed globally in the online pornography ring, according to U.S. and international authorities. The sting, which started in Australia, also netted accused pornographers in England, Canada and Germany.

Some victims were as young as five years old. Others were preyed upon for innocent characteristics such as wearing their hair in pigtails.

Authorities won't say how they eventually broke through several layers of encryption, background checks and other security measures the pornographers used to protect their online user group from being accessed. The porn ring was run like a business, FBI executive assistant director J. Stephen Tidwell said Tuesday, with the lewd images used as currency instead of cash.

"This is beyond a quantum exponential leap for us to see folks that have gone to this much trouble to produce this kind of volume of horrific exploitation of children," Tidwell said in an interview.

So far, authorities have identified and rescued 20 of the children who were exploited, he said, adding: "But with 400,000 (images) we're going to be at this for years, trying to find the victims."

Australian investigators first discovered the ring and infiltrated it undercover in January 2006, said Ross Barnett, detective chief superintendent with the Queensland Police Service. Those who gained access to the online forum could only after passing a series of what Tidwell called "various benchmarks and bars to get over to get into their group."

"From our perspective, it's definitely the largest and most sophisticated and disciplined group that we have ever seen operating in this environment," Barnett said.

A 34-count indictment unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Fla., details conversations among the 12 men accused of trading and advertising the pornography. Two other Americans also have been arrested, but they were not named in the indictment and their names were not immediately available.

The men were indicted from towns in 10 states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

The men are referred to in the indictment by various nicknames, which include "Box of Rocks," "Crazy Horse," "Eggplant," "RoadKill" and "Pickleman," reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. The indictment was unsealed Friday as the FBI started making arrests.

In one example cited in the indictment, Raymond Roy - known as "Nimo" - posted videos of Thai children "to give everyone something to do for an afternoon."

"This one may offend here, so a word of caution, these girls are heavily drugged," Roy wrote on July 10, 2007, according to the court documents. "Not much action to speak of, the girls are (sic) to (expletive deleted) up to move, or resist. Three girls, the first one being the youngest, around 8 or 9 yo."

"Yo" stands for "years old."

The 12 men who were charged with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise; illegally posting notices seeking to receive, exchange and distribute child porn across state lines; and obstructing of justice. Several also were charged with producing the pornography - meaning they had contact with the children who were exploited, Tidwell said.

The investigation, which is continuing, is the latest product of the FBI's "Innocent Images" task force that stemmed from a 1993 child pornography case. The task force has arrested more than 9,400 suspects since 2004 and is made up of international investigators working in the United States from an FBI command center in suburban Maryland.

Noting the sophisticated process the porn ring used to bar police, Tidwell compared the growing number of child pornography crimes to that of cocaine dealers, terrorists and the Mafia.

"If they had good operational security, that's a bad thing for us," Tidwell said. "When you've got that, you've got a real challenge for law enforcement."

[caliengineer]

Good job on this one. I hope those who are seeking to rescue the children involved and stop abuse will receive full funding.

Still, I hope this is not used to justify chipping humans. That is too much control, and will produce WAY too much power for government.

[hawksprings]

"Still, I hope this is not used to justify chipping humans. That is too much control, and will produce WAY too much power for government."
Posted by caliengineer

You''re right.
Chipping isn''t the way to go.
They should be castratedd.
With a dull, rusty razor blade.
By an angry feminist.
A blind one.
One suffering from PMS.

[jackie0428]

There is a special place in hell for the people who did this. May they rot in prison or be executed.

[theusa1st]

Give them a fair trial and then skin them alive...more human trash we need to dispose of...sick.

[michellem99-2009]

Thank ye for taking out the trash and there is no need for porn. I also see this as child and human abuse. We need to stop porn.

[tdentino]

HANG THE ***

[creeper00]

Every time I reach a point where I think I could support abolishing the death penalty a story like this comes along.

Death is too good for these pieces of garbage.

[candide777]

The responsible adults should never see the light of day. This is where our resources should be devoted instead of pooring our money down the drain on the ridiculous war on drugs. If you can''t even keep Rush Limbaugh from becoming a junkie, how are you going to force anyone else to stop doing drugs? Let''s spend the money on saving innocent victims like these kids.

[bookwerm314]

Seriously, end the failed war on drugs (victimless!) and use ALL that money to fight THIS! These kids deserve to be protected, and we failed them thru hugely misguided social policies. We really have our priorities messed up, we spend way to much on something most Americans do NOT support (war on drugs, jail time etc.) and NOT enough for what we DO want prosecuted (child porn, slavery, etc with HUGE jail times.) Politicians, read this.. get a clue.. we are pissed off at you .. wonder why your approval ratings suck? Stop wasting time with Steroids and baseball. NOT your problem you lazy *** ***.

[joyous88]

probably all republicons

[nordeck52]

probably all republicons

Posted by joyous88 at 07:06 PM : Mar 04, 2008

Don''t be too sure. Pure, fundamental liberalism stresses the most freedom, which is what these sick pieces of **** probably would want. And last time I checked, most (but not all) Democrats are liberal. Not to say that Republicans aren''t capable of being just as cruel and evil.

And no, I''m not a Republican by the way.

[Syndicate]

No, Probably all liberals. But either way definatley monsters.

[cgeller100]

I knew there would be some pyscho on here claiming that democrats either support this behavior, are responsible for it, or that the predators are democrats - you have some kind of disease of the mind that causes you to blame democrats for everything - you obviously hate democrats more than child molesters, and your assessment that "liberalism" favors "true freedom" like the freedom to molest children is just complete nonsense. YOu are more paranoid about democrats than this country ever was about communists in the 1950''s, and you''re just plain crazy. I vote democratic and I think the people who run the child pornography ring should get the death penalty.

[cgeller100]

Qualification: The people who PRODUCE the porn should get the death penalty. THe people who post and distribute it should go to jail.

[cgeller100]

IF all they did was find the distributors and not the producers, this accomplishes nothing. I want to know if they got to the producers of the porn.

[klingon69]

I knew there would be some pyscho on here claiming that democrats either support this behavior, are responsible for it, or that the predators are democrats - you have some kind of disease of the mind that causes you to blame democrats for everything - you obviously hate democrats more than child molesters, and your assessment that "liberalism" favors "true freedom" like the freedom to molest children is just complete nonsense. YOu are more paranoid about democrats than this country ever was about communists in the 1950''''s, and you''''re just plain crazy. I vote democratic and I think the people who run the child pornography ring should get the death penalty.
Posted by cgeller100 at 07:20 PM : Mar 04, 2008
Yep, they should be tortured then when little life remains, and they beg for the release of death, deny it to them. Allow them to heal up, and start all over.
And cgelding, I do believe that post about them being dems was in response to an earlier post calling them all reps.

[cyberus-2009]

angel20081 if there is a everafter I hope there is a very bad special place for people like you that spam dating web site ads on articles like this

[tamisuewho-2009]

CGELLER100: NO. They should ALL get the death penalty. Period. There is NO room in this life for ANY kind of this scum.

[tamisuewho-2009]

Political parties have NOTHING to do with the evil of the mind that is pedophilia. There are RICH men, CEO''s and presidents of major companies who go to places like Thailand to get this kind of action. These scum come from ALL walks of life. Don''t be stupid.

[janeyre-2009]

no rehabilitation for these criminals. So what do you want done?

[rushlimpdrug]

Now they can lock them all together in one small room.

[jjarden]

There is ONLY ONE Deterent...ONLY ONE Solution...ONLY ONE Punishment for these Heinous crimes...Public Beheadings with a Rusty Axe on the town common.

[dbstevens]

It''s hard to post something here because there are no words to describe the disgust for people like this. No punishment can fit this sort of crime. Get them off the face of this planet quickly.

[godofredo29]

Even Jesus won''t have anything to do with these guys. Yes, it''s true, some people are just born damned.

[candide777]

. . . you obviously hate democrats more than child molesters . . .
Posted by cgeller100 at 07:20 PM : Mar 04, 2008

Too true -- much as I hate to politicize this, republicans devote their lives to demonizing democrats while democrats at least try to solve the problems our society faces. I do not always agree with their solutions, but at least they are trying. Wish I could say the same for republicans. Republicans merely use issues like this to manipulate the electorate through fear by demonizing democrats and accusing them of being the cause. In the end, republicans care not weather children receive an education, starve to death, or are used as *** slaves. Doesn''t effect their financial statement one way or the other. Just ask Karl Rove -- he''ll tell you what the game is about.

[spaz6819]

I''m with the guy who said they deserved to all be beheaded in public at the town common!
What these people did is the worst crime in my eyes and they will be punished if not now then after they die they will have to face their maker! Good luck with that!

[candide777]

TracyMorgan8, again, you''re not my type. I know you are very lonely, but do I need to get a restraining order? Go play in the traffic, please.

[dblcopper]

I haven''t seen so much ''knee-jerking'' since my last physical when my Dr tested my reflexes by rapping below my kneecap with his little hammer.

The outrage is fine, even appropriate. It''s the solutions offered that are all over the map and mostly disconnected with the remedies offered by the rule of law at the Fed level and most States.

Incarceration for the max after a speedy trial is about all that is on the table, realistically. The trial bar, pro-lifers and the ACLU will continue to muck up any attempts to get death penalty legislation enacted for such offenses.

This is NOT a political issue (referring in particular to you demagoguing leftists posting earlier ... Rove IS NOT the problem). So you turn those pretty, pointy little heads toward efforts to add in permanent castration, either chemical or surgical, and you''ll be on the path of something that would actually work.

But, once again, good luck getting legislation of such past the ACLU and their leftist ilk who will certainly oppose on grounds of maiming for starters.

Kiddie porn pedos have a documented propensity to be repeat offenders if/when they are let loose again, seemingly no matter how long the sentence.

If you can''t keep the "bug out of the juice," then how about taking the "juice out of the bug?"

[susanhelit]

To those pushing castration - sorry - it doesn''t work. It''s been tried. Whatever makes a pedophile a pedophile is not located there. There have been repentant pedophiles, hating themselves and these urges who have had castration done, to try to cure themselves. It didn''t work.

They''re broken, and they never will be fixed. Lock them up and throw away the key - unless they''ve earned a death penalty. All we can do is try to figure out how to detect them earlier, watch them better.

[cpaide]

"The porn ring was run like a business, FBI executive assistant director J. Stephen Tidwell said Tuesday, with the lewd images used as currency instead of cash."

better get the doj to thrown in some indictments for tax evasion (not reporting barter transactions), so when there''s some technical problem with the porn charges, they can put them away for something. that''s the only thing that got al capone in trouble.

[rhs648]

There is ONLY ONE Deterent...ONLY ONE Solution...ONLY ONE Punishment for these Heinous crimes...Public Beheadings with a Rusty Axe on the town common.

Posted by jjarden

A sharpened axe makes it easier for the executioner. Why penalize the executioner with a dull rusty blade? Oh! I forgot. These criminals are the real victims according to their lawyers, the expert witnesses, the judges, and the juries. Let us not convict these people since we might make a mistake and convict the wrong person.

[atravelertoo]

It was probably the police that posted the young Asian girls. Asian girls look alot younger than they actually are. As to the guy that wanted the death penalty for child porn. What planet are you from? The US polices the world and drops bombs on many children maiming and killing them even though it is an ''accident'', yet it doesn''t even make the news or if it does no one call for the death sentence or any sentence at all. They are probably even given a medal.

[rhs648]

It was probably the police that posted the young Asian girls. Asian girls look alot younger than they actually are. As to the guy that wanted the death penalty for child porn. What planet are you from? The US polices the world and drops bombs on many children maiming and killing them even though it is an ''''accident'''', yet it doesn''''t even make the news or if it does no one call for the death sentence or any sentence at all. They are probably even given a medal.

Posted by AtravelerToo

There is no comparison between child pornography and those who are inadvertently killed by bombings during a war action by the United States. Such a comparison is simply too much of a stretch.

[i_am_emac]

i cant believe people will make anything political. Taking these freaks off the streets is nothing but good. Take your politics elsewhere.

[ov442]

posted by SusanHelit I think shes right.

I dont hear of many men that have become serious pedos being released and being re-habbed or anything where they are capable of maintaining a life of self control. I have even read where guys in therapy that are being released have even told their counselors NOT to release them. Same for jailed ones.
I think the feds should create a national federal prison to keep them in for life. A) it would make room in general prisons for standard everyday criminals, B) put them all in one place since they usually have to be given higher security for safety at regular prisons from people that want to kill em. and C) these people are so sick they need permanent solutions and thats a permanent one.

I cannot beleive these men consider what they do "ok" and have no guilt. thats insanity period. They may seem normal, but to do what they have done is as insane as a guy that goes out and kills babies. each one of these men is like hannibal lector.

[ranger1948]

I am a retired soldier turned Budhist. I try to find compassion for everyone. This is an exception even for me. I think any child molestor should be given the death penalty or locked naked in a holding position in prison with a sign saying free *** and let the other prisoners have them at will. No punishment is too horrible for these monsters.

[bambamslam]

If castration won''t work on pedophiles, then how
about a lobotomy? Basically remove whatever part of their brains that controls sexual urges.

[joyous88]

Those of you advocating prison justice for these animals, are just as guilty as the conservatives that like torture. We have a criminal justice system, we have a legal system, it is sawayed for the wealthy, it is police state, but it is all we have, prison justice is the same as saying that torure is OK;

do you really want to be that kind of american????
Have we not had enough of the criminal conservative idea????

[joyous88]

rhs648;

if you were that wrong person convicted you might have a different opinion,

we have a legal system, let it work, not everyone arrested , especially in the days of GW bush, is guilty

[smithoos]

Yikes! Child molesters sure don''t bring out the best in people, do they? We have to start thinking about real world solutions, not the reactive bloviating I''ve read here. Who really thinks child molestation is a death penalty offense? Who wants it to be? Child molestation isn''t a life sentence offense, either. The law needs and does strike a balance between the most serious offenses ( trason, murder ) and the least serious ( jaywalking, fishing without a license ). Is child molestation worse or better than drug dealing which may lead to death? How about the Nazi doctors who experimented on prisoners? And how about the pharmacist a few years ago who supplied watered-down chemotherapy drugs for those with - in some cases - fatal results? This is not an easy issue to address, not even for the aluminum beanie heads who seem to only live while on these chatrooms.

[hawksprings]

Death Penalty.

[joyous88]

smithoos;

well put;

lets not forget the enrons, the savings and loans with the bush brother, GW bush huying a stadium at
taxpayer expense and selling for a private fortune.

criminals all, republicans all

[dylanxxv]

Cut their ******* and sack off...No more molesting...

[dylanxxv]

Yikes! Child molesters sure don''''t bring out the best in people, do they? We have to start thinking about real world solutions, not the reactive bloviating I''''ve read here. Who really thinks child molestation is a death penalty offense? Who wants it to be? Child molestation isn''''t a life sentence offense, either. The law needs and does strike a balance between the most serious offenses ( trason, murder ) and the least serious ( jaywalking, fishing without a license ). Is child molestation worse or better than drug dealing which may lead to death? How about the Nazi doctors who experimented on prisoners? And how about the pharmacist a few years ago who supplied watered-down chemotherapy drugs for those with - in some cases - fatal results? This is not an easy issue to address, not even for the aluminum beanie heads who seem to only live while on these chatrooms.

Posted by smithoos at 10:25 PM : Mar 04, 2008




How many innocent children have you molested?

[candide777]

do you really want to be that kind of american????
Have we not had enough of the criminal conservative idea????
Posted by joyous88 at 10:16 PM : Mar 04, 2008

I agree with you that our current president is every bit the disgusting animal as these monsters. However, I don''t think anyone who does something like this to a child deserves a second chance. Some garbage, after a fair trial, simply needs to be taken out in accordance with applicable law.

That said, our criminal justice system is backwards in that it creates more criminals than it eliminates. I totally blame simple-minded republicans for this situation. Their "law and order" mentality blinds them from any hope of seeing the consequences of sending non-violent offenders, for example, to prison to be raped by violent offenders, etc. Sadly, we all pay the price for the shortsightedness of republican politicians who just want to be popular by quoting Hollywood lines like, "Go ahead, punk, make my day."

[beehive21-2009]

Were they all arabs and muslims ?

[candide777]

But, once again, good luck getting legislation of such past the ACLU and their leftist ilk who will certainly oppose on grounds of maiming for starters.
Posted by dblcopper at 09:07 PM : Mar 04, 2008

Oh, for crying out loud! What a magnificent example of a conservative pansy you are! As if the ACLU runs this country. LMAO! You have absolutely no credibility, sir.

[clarkssuppor]

I agree with the prison justice system.

[gepete]

Dylan XXV sounds like a CMSU liberal. But I got to agree castration would help prevent repeat offenders!

[redbarron73]

Posted by smithoos at 10:25 PM : Mar 04, 2008


Sooooo...How long have you been into pedophilia?