Child porn investigation sees computers seized

Forensic analysis of seized computer equipment is being carried out as part of a major police probe into on-line child pornography…

Forensic analysis of seized computer equipment is being carried out as part of a major police probe into on-line child pornography in Northern Ireland.

Police in Belfast confirmed today that a total of 38 cases are being investigated.

The inquiry is part of Operation Ore which has identified up to 7,000 suspected users, throughout the UK, of pay-per-view child pornography sites based in the United States.

With 34 men arrested in London today in the latest phase of the inquiry, a PSNI spokeswoman said she was unable to say how many people had been arrested or charged in Northern Ireland.

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Property was searched and material taken away for examination in a series of raids last September.

An extra £500,000 has been allocated by the Home Office to fund the nationwide investigation which has identified 50 police officers among suspects.

Operation Ore is the UK ring of a huge FBI operation which traced 250,000 paedophiles worldwide last year through credit card details used to pay for downloading child porn.

The names of the British and Irish suspects were passed on by US investigators.

They were traced through the Landslide website - a gateway to an international collection of child porn sites.

PA