German police have taken down one of the world’s largest child porn sites with over 400,000 members and arrested four people accused of running it.
The site, known as BOYSTOWN and accessible only via the so-called Darkweb, had existed since July 2019 and was used for the worldwide exchange of child porn.
Investigators spent months probing the site and those behind it, before arresting three main suspects along with a fourth man in raids last month.
Officers say the main suspects are a 40-year-old from Paderborn, a 49-year-old from Munich and a 58-year-old from northern Germany who had been living in Paraguay for many years – all of whom are accused of operating the site.
The fourth man, a 64-year-old from Hamburg, is accused of uploading more than 3,500 images and videos to the site since becoming a member in 2019 – making him one of the most prolific contributors.
ALSO READ:
Police said the site was designed to allow the international exchange of child abuse material by its members, mainly focusing on the abuse of young boys.