A major initiative against the distribution of child porn over
peer-to-peer networks was announced on Friday by the FBI and other
federal agencies. The operation, which began last autumn, has
already resulted in 1,000 investigations, over 350 searches and 65
arrests.
The Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security's US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces are all involved in the initiative, which seeks to tackle the growing volume of illegal child pornography distributed through P2P file-sharing networks.
"No one should be able to avoid prosecution for contributing to the abuse and exploitation of the nation's children," said Attorney General John Ashcroft. "The Department of Justice stands side-by-side with our partners in the law enforcement community to pursue those who victimise our children under the perceived, but false, cloak of anonymity that the peer-to-peer networks provide."
Unlike traditional computer networks, which employ the use of a server to exchange files, peer-to-peer networks allow users to connect their computers directly to one another, without the use of a central server. Once a user installs a peer-to-peer software application on his or her computer, he or she can directly access and search the files designated for distribution on any of the computers that are using the network at that moment in time, and then download desired files to his or her computer.
Investigators and agents from the participating agencies infiltrated the P2P networks and identified those who have distributed and taken possession of child pornography images.
The 65 arrests since autumn 2003 relate not only to the possession and distribution of child pornography, but also the sexual abuse of children.
