http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news_detail_pa.html?sku=11822011801776881-H0
Global paedophile ring smashed
19/06/07
Police have rescued at least 15 British children from horrific sex abuse after launching an audacious “sting” on a UK-based paedophile ring.
The kingpin of the vile internet chatroom - where perverts queued up to download images of children being raped - was handed a jail sentence which could see him stay behind bars for the rest of his life.
Suffolk-based brewer Timothy David Martin Cox was handed an indeterminate sentence at Ipswich Crown Court after one of the biggest ever crackdowns on online child abusers.
The minimum jail term set by the judge was just one year and seven months but he will only be released when he is no longer a danger to the public.
Cox hosted the website known as “Kids the Light of Our Lives”, and masqueraded behind the online identity “Son of God”. Judge Peter Thompson said some of the shocking images showed very young children being subjected to “sadistic” abuse.
In one case a girl aged about five was shown being raped, and in another a girl aged about three was being abused with a knife. Obsessive paedophile Cox was found to have nearly 76,000 images of children on his computer plus 1,100 videos which would have taken 316 hours to watch back-to-back.
There was also evidence that the 28-year-old bachelor had supplied nearly 11,500 images to other paedophiles. Cox sent an average of 200 images a day from his bedroom at the family farm at Buxhall, near Stowmarket. He lived with his parents, sister and 26-year-old girlfriend, working in the family’s microbrewery Cox > Holbrook, which brewed real ales with names such as Uncle Stan and Goodcock’s Winner.
Prosecutor Simon Spence said Cox led a double life, adding: “Some of these films are of users of the chat room actually abusing their own children and filming themselves, then posting it in the chatroom.”
Ceop’s Ian Robertson said outside court: “The amount of data that came out was massive.” Immediately after arresting Cox last September, undercover officers continued running the website to snare other users.
They placed a message that he had gone for his tea and would be back in 30 minutes to stop other members of the paedophile site becoming suspicious. Then they ran the chatroom under Cox’s online identities for 10 days to gather evidence on 700 other members of the ring around the world. Mr Robertson said about 200 of the suspects are based in the UK, and 31 children in all have been rescued from abuse.
http://www.ceop.gov.uk/news_items/article_20070618_ceop.htm
Monday June 18, 2007
Global Online Child Abuse Network Smashed - CEOP lead international operation into UK based paedophile ring
An online trading ground for indecent images of children and live exchanges of abuse has collapsed following an international operation led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre
The last 10 months of this complex investigation has resulted in the co-ordination of law enforcement agencies from 35 different countries and their subsequent, ongoing investigations – intelligence from which indicates that there were more than 700 suspects worldwide. The UK branch of the investigation centres around 200 suspects, the majority of which are currently subject to active police enquiries at this time. Further information can not be released until these enquiries have concluded.
To date, the international operation has led to 31 children being rescued from abuse or positions of harm.
‘Kids the Light of Our Lives’ was an Internet chat room dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children. Hundreds of members worldwide used it to trade a range of material, including photographs and videos of children being subjected to sexual abuse and serious sexual assault.
The man behind the network has been convicted at Ipswich Crown Court and now awaits sentence.
27 year old Timothy David Martyn Cox hosted the website from his home address in Buxhall, masquerading behind the online identity ‘Son_of_god.’ (1) When trading, he used the name ‘I_do_it’.
Cox was identified after intelligence linking the chat room to the UK was passed to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre by Canadian partners within the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) last August.
On receiving this information, specialist officers immediately began enquiries to trace the host, using a range of techniques and undercover online activity. Cox was located and subsequently arrested by officers from Suffolk Constabulary on September 28 2006. This allowed uncover officers from the CEOP Centre to infiltrate the room and gather valuable evidence.
Over a period of ten days, officers from the CEOP Centre and Toronto Police conducted online surveillance. They were able to identify further suspects and secure vital information regarding potential victims, before closing down the site.
When Suffolk forensic teams examined Cox’s computer they found 75,960 indecent and explicit images in addition to evidence that he had supplied 11,491 images to other site users.
Cox was subsequently charged with 9 offences, relating to the Possession and Distribution of Indecent Images of Children.
In September last year, Gordon Mackintosh from Hertfordshire also became a key subject in the UK inquiry. The 33 year old attempted to resurrect ‘Kids the Light of our Lives’ following the Cox’s disappearance as Host. Officers from the CEOP Centre carried out extensive work to identify and locate the individual behind the usernames ‘silentblackheart and ‘lust4skoolgurls’. Alongside Hertfordshire Police, they arrested Mackintosh on January 9th 2007.
CEOP officers, alongside VGT partners from the Australian Federal Police, ICE (US Department of Homeland Security) and Toronto Police undertook 24 hour online surveillance to infiltrate the room for a second time and collate details of all the offenders attempting to trade material.
McIntosh’s computer was found to contain 5,167 indecent and explicit images of children, in addition to 392 indecent movie files. He pleaded guilty to 27 charges of making, possessing and distributing indecent images and movies. He awaits sentence.
“Today’s verdict serves as a powerful warning to those using the Internet to facilitate the sexual exploitation of children,” said Jim Gamble, CEO at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and Chairman of the Virtual Global Taskforce.
“From the apparent ‘safety’ of his home, Cox spent hours each day planning, promoting and encouraging the abuse and exploitation of innocent young victims. In doing so he provided a service to hundreds of like minded individuals, enabling those with a sexual interest in children to share indecent images and discuss further plans for abuse.
“Any individual who thinks they carry out such horrific activities undetected is in for a very rude awakening. The belief that the Internet provides anonymity is unfounded and for Cox and Mackintosh it has already proved to be a costly misconception.
“Thankfully both are behind bars today. As predators become increasing sophisticated in their use of the Internet for exploiting young people, so too do the techniques we use to detect them. We will continue to work alongside local police forces and our law enforcement partners worldwide, to track and prosecute those who prey on young victims and to protect greater numbers of children from harm.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
(1) The user name ‘G.O.D’ was originally used by the host of US based chatroom’s ‘Kiddypics’ and ‘Kiddyvids’. The host, a 49 year old man from Tennessee, was arrested and the chat rooms were closed down in March 2006. This investigation was known as ‘Operation Wickerman’ which was initially led by Canadian Police.
* Enquiries by the CEOP Centre continue, in association with the Virtual Global Taskforce and law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad.
* The remaining suspects within this investigation are subject to active police enquiries at this time. Further details can not be disclosed for operational reasons.
* The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre works in both online and offline environments to protect children from sexual exploitation. Full information on all areas of work, as well as online safety messages and access to online reporting, can be found at www.ceop.gov.uk.
* The CEOP Centre is affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and powers are derived from the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. It is based in Pimlico, London with developing outreach channels to all areas of both domestic and international policing. Specialist faculties are dedicated to operations, intelligence, education and victim identification.
* The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is a member of the Virtual Global Taskforce. Other members include the Australian Federal Police, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Interpol. Further information is available at www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com
* Visit www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com to download a short film on the work of VGT
* To view and download operational footage please visit http://video.hosting.idnet.net/vgt.zip
* Download Press Pack
CHILD ABUSE IMAGES, NOT ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’
Use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ actually works to the advantage of child sex abusers:
* It indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser
* It conjures up images of children posing in ‘provocative’ positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse
* Every photograph captures an actual situation where a child has been abused. This is not pornography.
* For further information please contact the Communications Team at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on 0870 000 3434 or 0207 238 2312 / 2366/ 2327.