Brazil Busts Online Child Porn Rings, 132 Arrested

May 17, 2018, at 2:56 p.m.

U.S. News & World Report

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BRASILIA (REUTERS) - Brazilian police arrested 132 men on Thursday in the country's largest offensive against child pornography on the internet, seizing more than 1 million picture files in 284 cities across the country, the government said.

The operation involved 2,600 police officers, who seized computers, thumb drives and cellphones for inspection.

Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann said the men arrested in the operation faced charges of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

Under Brazilian law, anyone found in possession of child pornography can face a prison sentence of up to four years, increasing to six years for selling pictures and eight years for producing pornographic material with children.

"This was the biggest ever coordinated police operation in Brazil and the largest in the world in one single day against the crimes of child abuse and sexual exploitation of children," Jungmann said at a news conference.

An earlier operation in October against online child pornography led to the arrest of 112 people.

(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca and Anthony Boadle; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Copyright 2018 Thomson Reuters.

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