Police smash one of Australia’s biggest child sex rings – arresting two men for ‘raping eight boys aged four to seven and sharing videos of the attacks’
- Police have busted one of Australia’s largest child sex rings, arresting two men
- The men, aged 21 and 26, were arrested on the New South Wales mid-north coast
- They allegedly filmed themselves raping boys aged between four and seven
One of Australia’s largest child sex rings has been busted after disturbing footage of two men allegedly raping young boys was shared on the darkweb.
Two men, aged 21 and 26, were arrested on the New South Wales mid-north coast on Thursday accused of sexually assaulting children and sharing videos of their horrific crimes.
Police allege the men are part of one the country’s largest child sex rings.
Two men, aged 21 and 26, were arrested on the New South Wales mid-north coast on Thursday
The men allegedly raped eight boys aged between four and seven.
The men also shared videos of the attacks via the dark web.
‘We expect this is the biggest domestic child exploitation network uncovered in recent times,’ Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Northern Command Lesa Gale told reporters on Friday.
At least 14 children have been removed from harmful situations, with a total of 40 charges laid, she said.
The 26-year-old man was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse with child under the age of 10 years, two counts of produce child abuse material and two counts of possess/control child abuse material using carriage service.
The 21-year-old man was charged with six counts of sexual intercourse with child under the age of 10 years and possess child abuse material.
The men, who face child exploitation and child harm charges, appeared in Kempsie Magistrates Court on Friday.
It’s alleged that some of their victims were family members.
Their offending is alleged to have begun in 2018, but may have started earlier, police say.
Police seized a cellphone (pictured) during the arrest of two men in New South Wales
Police executed search warrants at homes in New South Wales on Thursday
The arrests are part of a broader national operation with previous arrests in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia.
In total, nine men aged in their 20s have been arrested in relation to the child abuse that was filmed, photographed and shared online.
AFP Assistant Commissioner for ACCCE Lesa Gale said police believe they have uncovered one of the biggest domestic child exploitation networks in recent times.
She said the AFP advised the NSW Police investigating the William Tyrrell’s disappearance of the arrests but refused to say if the cases were related.
Police will allege in court that some of the accused men had sexually abused children known to them and recorded videos and photographs of the abuse to share with others online.
‘The efforts of all officers involved in the investigation has resulted in at least 14 children removed from harmful situations, and saved from abuse in the future,’ Assistant Commissioner Gale said.
‘We are continuing to try to identify other children who we suspect were preyed on by individuals in the alleged network.
‘It is heartbreaking to think of any child being sexually abused, but it strengthens our resolve to hunt down perpetrators and bring them to justice.
‘Sexual abuse has a devastating impact on children and their families, and that abuse continues each and every time an image or video showing that crime is shared.’