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17 Brits held over 'child abuse streamed live from Philippines'

17 Brits have been arrested after UK police joined forces with Australian and US investigators to smash a paedophile ring which streamed live child abuse from the Philippines.

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Police tracked abuse network through sex offender

An inquiry was prompted when Northamptonshire Police visited registered sex offender Timothy Ford and began tracking the international abuse network from obscene videos they found on his computer. He was paying to view live sex abuse and planned to move to the Philippines to open an internet cafe

The use of webcams to stream live abuse, particularly from the developing world, is a significant and emerging threat according to the NCA's CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) command.

Extreme poverty, the increasing availability of high-speed internet and the existence of a vast and comparatively wealthy overseas customer base has led to organised crime groups exploiting children for financial gain.

– National Crime Agency statement

Instead was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in March last year.Another member of the paedophile network, Thomas Owen, who had nearly four million images of child abuse when he was arrested, was jailed for seven years in July last year.

If you know of anyone who has been a victim of abuse contact Child exploitation an Online Protection Centre (CEOP) via its website or call +44 (0)870 000 3344.

Police target 'extremely dangerous' child sex offenders

The National Crime Agency said that a joint police investigation had identified "extremely dangerous child sexual offenders".

This investigation has identified some extremely dangerous child sexual offenders who believed paying for children to be abused to order was something they could get away with.

Being thousands of miles away makes no difference to their guilt. In my mind they are just as responsible for the abuse of these children as the contact abusers overseas.

Protecting the victims of abuse is our priority and that means attacking every link in the chain, from dismantling the organised groups who are motivated by profit through to targeting their customers.

– Andy Baker from the National Crime Agency

So far 15 children aged six to 15 have been rescued after being identified as victims. In some cases their own relatives sold them for abuse.

In the UK five of the 17 suspects arrested have been convicted, nine investigations are ongoing, one will face no further action and two are dead.

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Paedophiles 'streamed live child abuse from Philippines'

Police officers from Britain have joined forces with Australian and US investigators to smash a paedophile ring which streamed live child abuse from the Philippines.

The investigation, which has been going on for two years, focuses on what the UK's National Crime Agency calls "a significant and emerging threat", particularly in developing countries.

Police smashed a smash a paedophile ring which streamed live child abuse from the Philippines. Credit: Adam Peck/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Three other investigations are taking place into live streaming of child sex abuse, with 139 Britons among the 733 suspects.

So far 17 Britons have been arrested as part of the Philippines inquiry, Operation Endeavour, which has spanned 12 countries and has seen involvement from police in the UK, Australia and the US.

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