Child Porn Arrests in Australia-wide Operation Snare Psychologist

This is obviously a very big story in Australia. See these reports from the Herald Sun and the Courier Times, among others, as well as this original report from the Australian Federal Police. No names are available identifying the arrested culprits.

A forensic psychologist is among those arrested in the largest child pornography investigation ever by Australian Federal Police.

More than a million images were seized during the six-month Operation Irenic, including pictures of infants being raped, abused and tortured.

Australia-wide, 24 men were arrested including a former police officer and a teacher, ranging in age from 30 to 70.

Suspects include a forensic psychologist, a sales assistant and an RSPCA worker.

More than 100 police were involved in the investigation which identified one child as being at risk, resulting in its removal from harm.

"The child was at times in the presence of a person who had been downloading child abuse images and it's our understanding that that individual was actively preparing this child for abuse," said AFP acting Assistant Commissioner Kevin Zuccato.

He said investigations were far from complete and what had been discovered so far was "the tip of the iceberg".

"With these types of investigations we don't stop at just arresting the people who download the images," he said.

"Our main objective is to identify everybody that we possibly can involved in these type of offences and working internationally to bring those people to justice and hold them to account."

He praised the way in which police services from across Australia co-operated throughout the investigation.

"This shows that offenders who try to remain anonymous by using the internet to commit offences can and will be caught."

The operation had led to the arrests earlier this week of seven men who have already appeared before courts in NSW and Victoria, bringing the total alleged Australian offenders to 31.

Over the weekend police in NSW and Victoria raided eight properties, making a series of arrests and seizing computers containing thousands of images.

Days later, AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty promised more arrests as part of an ongoing international operation.