Kidflix, one of the largest platforms used to host, share, and stream child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web, was shut down on March 11 following a joint action coordinated by German law enforcement. Europol launched the Stop Child Abuse – Trace An Object initiative in 2017, allowing people to provide information that can help cases of child sexual abuse by recognizing objects linked to ongoing investigations. Many of the suspects identified during Operation Stream were cross-referenced with Europolțs databases, showing that a large portion of those involved in child sexual exploitation are often repeat offenders already on law enforcement's radar. In February, law enforcement agencies from 19 countries also arrested 25 suspects linked to a criminal ring distributing AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Operation Stream started in 2022 and has so far led to 79 arrests, 1,393 suspects identified, and over 3,000 electronic devices seized between March 10 and March 23, 2025. The Australian Federal Police also launched its own version of the Stop Child Abuse initiative in March 2021, focusing on the Asia Pacific region. Dubbed Operation Stream, this joint international investigation is led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB). The joint operation was also supported by Europol analysts from the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), who analyzed thousands of videos, providing evidence to facilitate the investigation. According to the Dutch National Police, information about the suspects has been shared with investigation authorities in 35 countries, who had official warning conversations with them between March 10 and March 21. On 11 March 2025, the server, which contained around 72,000 videos at the time, was seized by German and Dutch authorities.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:25:11 +0000