Police in Australia have arrested and charged four men in Sydney after discovering what they called an “international satanic child sex abuse material ring.” The arrests were made after officers carried out six search warrants last week.
The men, aged 26, 39, 42 and 46, were arrested on Thursday. Police say the network shared child abuse material with “ritualistic or satanic themes” on a website run overseas.
Footage showed officers in tactical gear breaking into an apartment and taking a suspect into custody. The 26-year-old is accused of having a leading role in the group.
What are the charges against four men?
The men face more than 20 charges including possessing and distributing child abuse material and bestiality. Some are also charged with drug offences and failing to follow reporting rules.
All four have been refused bail. Superintendent Jayne Doherty said police found thousands of videos of children aged 12 and below, including babies. Officers are still trying to identify the victims and where the material was made.
Thousands of videos seized
Doherty said in a press conference, “Police will allege in court that this international group were engaging in conversations and the sharing of material which depicted child abuse and the torture of children involving symbols and rituals linked to Satanism and the occult.”
Authorities believe the men did not record the abuse themselves. They are working with international agencies to track down the origin of the footage. All four men are due to appear in court in late January as the investigation continues. The investigation was led by the NSW sex crimes squad under Strike Force Constantine, a special operation launched in April to track online child abuse material with ritualistic or satanic themes.
