Worldwide Network Of 87,000 Pedophiles Dismantled – U.S. Media Silent
The world has once again been shocked by the revelation of a massive child pornography network that operated within the depths of the Darknet, a hidden part of the internet inaccessible to conventional search engines. German police recently dismantled this network, known as “Elysium,” which boasted a staggering membership of over 87,000 individuals.
Elysium served as a platform for the exchange of videos and images depicting the physical and sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers. The website had been active since the end of 2016, utilizing the anonymity of the Darknet to hide its heinous activities from law enforcement and search engine algorithms.
According to Deutsche Welle, a renowned German international broadcaster, investigators revealed that Elysium had been operating since 2016 and was only accessible through the darknet. This hidden corner of the internet cannot be reached through regular search engines like Google and requires specialized encrypting software to access.
Authorities in Frankfurt, Germany, uncovered evidence of extremely severe cases of child abuse, including violence against children and the exploitation of the youngest victims. Elysium was also used to arrange appointments for the purpose of further exploiting and abusing innocent children.
The majority of suspects involved in the Elysium network were apprehended in Germany and Austria. Dutch authorities were also reported to have been involved in the investigation, although the extent of their contribution has yet to be determined.
Remarkably, despite its sizable membership, the Elysium network is not the largest child pornography bust on record. In a previous case, a darknet platform named Playpen was seized, resulting in the sentencing of its leader, 58-year-old American Steven Chase, to 30 years in federal prison. Notably, the US Department of Justice admitted that the FBI operated the Playpen website for a brief period in 2015.
The Playpen case generated significant controversy when the Department of Justice chose to dismiss an indictment against the child pornography site. Wired reported that the dismissal was not due to a lack of evidence but rather because the FBI did not want to disclose details about their hacking techniques utilized on the Tor anonymity network. This decision left many concerned, as it meant allowing an alleged child pornographer to go free while protecting secretive law enforcement methods, according to EFF.
Returning to the Elysium network, the suspected operator of the platform, a 39-year-old man from the state of Hesse in central Germany, was arrested on June 12 after a search of his residence and the seizure of the server. Several other suspects were also arrested during the investigation, according to the police.
German and Austrian authorities have announced that they will hold a press conference on Friday to provide further details about the case. This latest incident serves as a chilling reminder of the grave issue of child pornography, a global pandemic that remains largely unrecognized and perpetuates unimaginable suffering for innocent victims.
