Dark Web child abuse site shut down as UK forces, including South Yorkshire Police, target users

The takedown follows an international investigation led by German authorities into the site, which mimicked a well-known video streaming service.

“With thanks to our law enforcement partners in Germany and Europol, a dangerous site hosting tens of thousands of child sexual abuse videos has been taken down,” said NCA senior manager Neil Keeping.

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Investigators identified 1,275 users worldwide who accessed the material by either paying in cryptocurrency or uploading their own content to earn site-specific credits.

After receiving intelligence from German authorities in February, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) pinpointed the British users and passed the information to UK police forces, enabling swift action.

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"NCA intelligence officers worked quickly to identify the UK users of the site, providing a package of intelligence to forces across the country so arrests could be made and children could be safeguarded.

"Providing this global to local response is paramount in our role to protect children from child sexual abuse and criminals who seek out this content.

"We will continue to work with international law enforcement partners to disrupt the online platforms that operate on the dark web, purely for the sexual gratification of offenders, and ensure children are safeguarded from abuse."

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