Suspected paedophiles netted in global sting

A global police operation has uncovered a suspected UK-based paedophile ring which has over 300 members worldwide.

A number of arrests were made and an undisclosed number of children were rescued from alleged sexual abuse following a global undercover sting by the London-based Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).

To infiltrate the paedophiles on the web, a shift system was operated by police from Britain, the US, Australia and Canada.

Ceop chief executive Jim Gamble said: "We identified an online area used by individuals with a deviant interest in children - in my mind that's a paedophile ring. That was then infiltrated by us in conjunction with our international partners.

"We closed what we believe was a paedophile ring with excess of 300 members. Principal suspects were in the UK."

The news comes as a major conference opens in Washington DC on the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT), a joint initiative designed to ensnare online paedophiles across the globe.

Ceop, an integral part of the VGT, was set up last April and has already led to 27 predatory paedophiles being placed in custody and about 70 children safeguarded from abuse.

Internet child safety expert John Carr, of the charity NCH, said: "This is another great example of how the Virtual Global taskforce is becoming more and more efficient at collaborating across continents in a bid to bring these men to justice.

"The VGT up to now consists of the four major English-speaking countries of the world.

"That has been good to get it off the ground - but for it to become an even more valuable resource it has to reach out to other countries and south-east Asia is an obvious target because that is where sex tourism is a major problem."

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