-Subject: CHILD PORN RING THOUGHT SECRETS WERE SAFE ON THE NET

Pay close attention to the last 4 paragraphs in this news article.

Sky News (UK)
February 14, 2001
URL to story: http://www.sky.com/news/background/story7.htm

They were members of a global internet fraternity bound together by a sickening fascination with child pornography, writes Sky News’ Michelle Clifford.

The members of the Wonderland Club were carefully vetted - and the price of entry was high. Each had to provide a staggering 10,000 indecent images of children to join.

The pictures of sexual abuse which they traded are some of the most degrading and horrific ever seen. They involved children and babies less than one year old.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Wood, of the National Crime Squad, helped co-ordinate Operation Cathedral, to round up the British Wonderland members. He said: “The images that we recovered – three-quarters of a million images – are of serious sexual and physical abuse of children as young as three years old. They are quite horrific, the rape of kids in nappies, quite horrific.”

'Elite'

Members of the club - who thought of themselves as the elite amongst paedophiles - believed the internet gave them anonymity. They were wrong.

After a tip off from US customs, officers from the National Crime Squad in London began tracking computer contact between members.

Operation Cathedral eventually led to the largest ever international police operation. Simultaneous raids took place around the world in September 1998 involving officers from 12 countries.

More than a hundred people were arrested, and the seizure of computer equipment uncovered a horrific library of paedophilic material.

Prolific

The members of the Wonderland Club had been more prolific than anyone could have imagined. The police found 750,000 separate images of children suffering sexual abuse, and almost 2000 computerized videos. Officers around the world now face the mammoth task of trying to identify all of the children involved.

Pictures of a thousand victims have been put on a database and sent to Interpol and police forces all over the world.

Detective Superintendent Peter Spindler, of the NCS, said: “If they think they know who the child is, they will come to us and we will provide them with the full paedophilic image - that’s the pornographic image - which will be far wider, and may have other clues within it.”

Britain led the way in smashing one of the most sophisticated international paedophile rings. Many of those involved have now been convicted. But the police know other members of the Wonderland Club have so far evaded detection and are still at large - free to exploit children .