2 Oct 2008

Spain arrests 121 over child porn

8:37 pm on 2 October 2008

Spanish police have arrested 121 people in what they describe as the country's largest ever operation against internet child pornography.

Millions of images that show child sex abuse were seized in a series of nationwide raids, which uncovered a network spanning 75 countries.

Police say two of those held were using their own children to make pornography.

A further 96 people have been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

The arrests were made over the past seven days as part of a long-term operation which began in July last year with the help of Brazilian police.

Those detained include bank clerks, porters and airline pilots, and some are foreigners resident in Spain.

Police said about 800 officers were involved in conducting 210 searches in 42 different provinces that "seized millions of archives of videos and photographs some of which show extremely harsh abuse of minors".

In addition, 347 hard drives, 1,186 CDs and DVDs and 36 laptops were seized.

The raids brought to 1,200 the number of people arrested for child pornography in Spain over the past five years.