FBI Arrests 40 in Child Porn Sting

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 20, 2002

FBI Arrests 40 in Child Porn Sting

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U.S. Federal authorities investigating an Internet-based child pornography ring have arrested 40 people in 20 states, including two Catholic priests, youth baseball coaches, a civilian law enforcement employee and a teacher's aide, Justice Department officials said Monday.

At least 27 of the suspects charged in what the FBI calls Operation Candyman have admitted previous acts of child molestation involving more than 36 children, officials said.

The arrests are the result of a 14-month investigation of Candyman, an Internet-based group that attracted more than 7,000 users and distributors worldwide. Many of those involved traded "explicit, hard-core" images of children.

"It is clear," Attorney General John Ashcroft said, "that a new marketplace for child pornography has emerged in the dark corners of cyberspace. These individuals must be stopped."

Beginning in January 2001, FBI agents based in Houston began investigating the group's e-mails and chat rooms by posing as child-pornography traders and users. Within several months, investigators were able to identify a universe of several thousand members of the e-mail group. Authorities tracked members to their homes or workplaces through Internet service providers.

The Family Research Council, a non-profit group that promotes conservative values, praised authorities for the arrests. Council officials called for closer scrutiny of Internet service providers that the council says provide venues for pornography traders.

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