French Authorities Dismantle Major International Child Exploitation Network
95 individuals in France were arrested during a year-long investigation into a global network sharing over 200 terabytes of illegal content via encrypted messaging platforms.
- The investigation uncovered 16,000 participants across 130 countries using the encrypted Signal app to exchange illegal content involving minors.
- French authorities arrested 95 individuals aged 16 to 74, including professionals in roles involving children, such as a youth association director and a sports educator.
- Searches conducted between December 9 and 19, 2024, led to the seizure of 375,000 photos, 156,000 videos, and 217 terabytes of data from digital devices.
- 36 of the arrested individuals were already known to law enforcement for prior sexual offenses, with seven listed in the national sexual offenses registry.
- The case highlights the growing role of encrypted platforms in facilitating such crimes, prompting calls for enhanced measures to combat online child exploitation.
Ouest-France 
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