Daily London
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Four men have been charged over their alleged involvement in an international satanic child sex abuse material ring.
After investigations by Strike Force Constantine, police uncovered a Sydney-based paedophile network allegedly possessing, distributing and facilitating child abuse material involving “symbols and rituals related to satanism and the occult”.
Police allege thousands of files of child abuse material were uncovered in initial investigations of electronic devices seized.
On Thursday, six search warrants were conducted across Sydney, including in Waterloo, Ultimo and Malabar.
A 26-year-old man arrested in Waterloo in Sydney’s southern suburbs is alleged to be the leader of the group.
He was taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with multiple offences, including seven counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material.
At a unit block in Malabar in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, three men aged 46, 42 and 39 were arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station.
Speaking to media, Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said the material was “abhorrent” and outlined some of the alleged activities of the group.
“[They engaged] in conversations and the sharing of material which depicted child abuse and the torture of children,” she said.
“Police will allege in court that the initial examination of these devices has discovered thousands of videos depicting the abuse of live children between the ages of babies and 12 years of age.
“Amongst these deplorable images were also a number of videos depicting the sexual abuse of animals.”
Police are not alleging the men created the material.
Doherty said the material was particularly appalling due to the sinister connotations behind it.
“These ones were particularly devastating in [that] they used symbols and rituals around it in the discussions about abusing children,” she said.
“It had a ritualistic overview.”
Police charged the oldest man with multiple offences, including using a carriage service to make child abuse available.
The 39-year-old was also charged with multiple offences, including possessing child abuse material and possessing bestiality material.
The 42-year-old man was charged with possessing child abuse data using a carriage service, accessing child abuse material, and possessing child abuse material.
Doherty confirmed the men were allegedly part of an international group dealing with “satanic child abuse material”, but said she police could not confirm the specific identity of any of the children involved, or if any of them are from Australia.
”We’ve not identified an actual child, but the images are of real children,” she said.
There is also no confirmation the men had any immediate access to children, but Doherty said the risk to the community was still high, hence the arrests being made.
“There are no specific children they had access to, but they were put in our community and we were concerned for the children within the community,” she said.
All men were refused bail and appeared in court on Friday.
They will next appear at Downing Centre Local Court on January 27 and January 29 next year.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
