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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.

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

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