700 held as pedophile ring smashed
Pastor Dale Morgan
700 held as pedophile ring smashed*
POSTED: 1331 GMT (2131 HKT), June 18, 2007
Story Highlights
• 31 children rescued, more than 700 suspects rounded up in Web
pedophile probe
• 10-month investigation involved agencies from 35 countries; 200
suspects in UK
• Ring traced to Web site featuring images of children subjected to
sexual abuse
LONDON, England (AP) -- Police smashed a global Internet pedophile ring,
rescuing 31 children and rounding up more than 700 suspects worldwide,
authorities said Monday.
Some 200 suspects are based in the United Kingdom, the Child
Exploitation and Online Protection Center said. The ring was traced to
an Internet chat room called "Kids the Light of Our Lives" that featured
images of children being subjected to horrific sexual abuse -- including
in live videos.
Police rescued 31 children, some of them as young as a few months. More
than 15 of the children were in the United Kingdom.
The host of the Web site, Timothy David Martyn Cox, 27, of Buxhall, who
used the online identity "Son of God," admitted to nine counts of
possessing and distributing indecent images, authorities said.
After his arrest in September, authorities were able to infiltrate the
chat room and collect evidence on the other members.