A major investigation by Police Scotland has identified 523 potential victims of online child sex abuse after it uncovered as many as 30 million indecent images.
Operation Lattise has so far resulted in the arrest of 77 people on charges including rape, bestiality, sharing indecent images of children, sexual extortion and grooming.
The investigations are ongoing.
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RT reports
The child victims, some as young as three, had been found after the homes of 83 suspects were searched and 547 computers and other devices seized during the operation.
Charges include rape, sharing indecent images of children, indecent communication with children, sexual extortion, bestiality and grooming.
In one instance, a computer that featured 10 million images depicting child abuse was found.
Examination of one device led officers to conclude that one adult suspect had been sexually communicating with more than 110 children and young people.
Of the 523 potential victims, 122 have been referred to child protection services.
The operation, carried about between June 6 and July 15, involved 134 investigations.
Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, who led the investigation, told the BBC: “This is not sexting in terms of people sending abusive messages to each other.
“This is children being sexually abused and these images behind shared.”
He told the Press Association: “Online sexual abuse is a national threat, the reality is it is happening now, not only in Scotland but across the world, to children of all ages, from infants to teenagers.
“Let me make it clear: child sexual abuse and exploitation, which can range from sharing images depicting the rape, sexual torture or assault of a child to grooming or sexually extorting a child, takes place solely because of the decisions made on the part of the abuser.
“Online child sexual abuse is not a victimless crime: children, from toddlers to teenagers, are being sexually abused and exploited now in Scotland and when an image or video clip is shared or viewed, they are being re-victimized.”
Graham called on parents to be “alert” but not alarmed.
Figures from Police Scotland released to the BBC show the number of recorded offenses are growing each year.
Niamh Harris
Trash will rot in hell
Britain is just a sick bunch of pedophiles and perverts. I’m sure this is going on all over Europe. I read that the whole point of open borders in Europe was to allow pedophiles to move cinder age children from country to country without having to show any papers. Sick Bastards!