International child porn ring smashed

An international child pornography ring that spanned three continents and required members to post explicit images on a secure internet message board has been dismantled with the arrests of more than a dozen people, authorities said today.

The investigation led to the closure of the so-called Lost Boy bulletin board in January 2009 and identified suspects from Germany to New Zealand. Investigators said the network of 35 men traded and posted pictures of young boys either naked or engaging in unlawful sex.