CHILD PORN BUST IN EUROPE - 112 ARRESTS

112 SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ONLINE
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SWOOP

Amsterdam (AP) - Police arrested 112 people in 22 countries after a yearlong investigation into child pornography, Europol said Friday, warning that technology is making combating the spread of child abuse images ever more difficult.  The operation targeted people sharing “the most extreme forms of video material,” including images of babies and toddlers being sexually abused or raped, the European police coordination agency said.  There are 269 suspects so far, and more arrests are likely after the operation uncovered previously unknown networks of child sex offenders operating on different Internet chat channels.  This operation shows how the internet is helping offenders to develop better techniques for sharing images on a global basis and for protecting their identity. 

“The problems involved are becoming harder to police and call for sustained efforts by policy-makers and law enforcement agencies to ensure that society’s response remains strong and agile in this area,” said Europol director Rob Wainwright.  He called the operation a success, but noted in a statement it shows “how the Internet is helping offenders to develop better techniques for sharing images on a global basis and for protecting their identity.”  The arrests were made as part of Operation Icarus, which was initiated at the start of this year. The nations involved in the investigation were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Norway and Switzerland.

Police in 22 European countries swooped on 112 suspects for allegedly sharing “the most extreme form” of online videos of child pornography.  The video material included babies and toddlers being sexually abused and raped, according to policing agency Europol.  The investigation is by no means over because online child sex abuse networks are a “global problem.”  By watching these videos we are participating in sexual violence against defenseless and we will reap the karmic results of such action.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Excessive influence of these two (rajas and tamas) ultimately cause suffering. Knowing this, one can understand that pornography involves considerable violence - violence to oneself and others. ... How would you feel if one of the teen porn girls was your daughter, sister, or niece?  They are all someone’s daughter, sister, or niece.  How do you think their parents feel, seeing their children involved in the pornography industry?  Knowledge of the fact that you are instrumental in perpetuating their involvement in this should help you realize just how ugly you become when you implicate yourself in pornography, whether it is on the Internet or elsewhere.  It is a violent activity with violent results.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“Kuruksetra War: Myth, History, or Lila?”
“Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari”
Śrī Caitanya Sanga - Vol. III, N° 3 – January 23, 2001.
http://swami.org/
http://swami.org/pages/sanga/current.php