Gardaí highlight risk of online sexual extortion following child pornography raids

Gardaí have searched 23 addresses, including six each in Cork and Dublin, as part of an operation targeting the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Follow up searches will be carried out in the coming days as part of a further crackdown.

Gardaí have confirmed that warrants to search were executed at 23 addresses in eleven counties under Operation Ketch 5, the latest phase of an ongoing search and recovery operation targeting suspects involved in the possession and distribution of child pornography through social networking sites or via file sharing networks.

The Online Child Exploitation Unit (OnCE) at the Garda National Protection Services Bureau is leading the operation.

It was assisted by the newly established divisional protection service units and local detective units in each of the searches.

The addresses included six in each of Cork and Dublin, two in each of Donegal and Monaghan and one in each of Clare, Carlow, Cavan, Meath, Louth, Limerick and Kerry.

The searches took place between February 1 and 4 and further searches are due to take place in the coming days.

Digital material has been seized for forensic examination at all addresses searched.

Teenagers can be subjected to online sexual coercion and extortion. We want to make young people aware of such criminal behaviour, how they can protect themselves online and where to find help and support.

For more see: https://t.co/SNLvsBN05h#BeInCtrl @Webwise_Ireland pic.twitter.com/RwxGJfcHQc

— Garda Info (@gardainfo) February 5, 2019

Liaison is being maintained with the Child & Family Agency regarding any child protection concerns that arise.

Operation Ketch was started in February 2018 when gardaí raided 38 addresses. Two of the suspects identified at that stage were juveniles.

This was followed by a search of 38 addresses in July 2018, during which child sex dolls were seized at one address.

There were 34 addresses targeted in September 2018. A business selling child sex dolls online was searched and an arrest was made.

In December 2018, Operation Ketch 4 saw 27 addresses searched. Cocaine and cannabis valued at €7,000 was recovered at one address.

In total, 137 addresses were searched during the course of 2018 under Operation Ketch.

The timing of phase 5 was to coincide with Safer Internet Day 2019.

Gardaí are, in conjunction with Webwise, promoting the ‘Be in Ctrl’ Schools Programme which aims to inform students of the risk of online exploitation, raise awareness regarding safe online behaviour and empower young people to seek help and report incidents to the Gardaí.

The resource deals with online coercion and extortion of children, which is a form of digital blackmail, sometimes referred to as ‘sextortion’, where sexual information or images are used to extort sexual material, sexual favours or money from children.