In a major international law enforcement effort, authorities have dismantled “KidFlix,” a dark web platform that facilitated the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to approximately 1.8 million users worldwide.
The operation, coordinated by Europol and led by German federal police, involved law enforcement agencies from 38 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. The platform, active since 2021, hosted over 91,000 videos totaling more than 6,000 hours of illicit content. Users accessed the material through cryptocurrency payments, earning tokens by uploading or categorizing content .
The takedown, part of “Operation Stream,” resulted in 79 arrests and the identification of nearly 1,400 suspects. Authorities conducted raids in 31 countries, seizing over 3,000 digital devices and rescuing 39 children from abusive situations.
The platform’s central server, containing 72,000 videos, was seized in a joint operation by German and Dutch authorities. Investigators traced cryptocurrency transactions to uncover user identities, highlighting the growing use of digital currencies in facilitating such crimes .
Officials have described the operation as one of the most significant actions against online child exploitation to date, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in combating such global threats.
Source: CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-online-child-sexual-abuse-platform-kidflix-busted-europol
