Justice Announces Largest Ever Online Child Porn Arrest

The Justice Department charged 72 people Wednesday for posting images to an online child pornography board, the largest slate of arrests in an online child pornography case in U.S. history.

The message board, called Dreamboard, focused on graphic and often violent images of child sexual abuse, usually involving girls under the age of 12, according to a press release and indictment in the case.

Dreamboard administrators instructed participants on which encryption software to use and how to use proxy servers in order to evade detection by law enforcement, according to a statement by Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, and access to the board was controlled through a strict hierarchy.

Members were required to upload new photos and videos of child sexual abuse every 50 days or risk expulsion, Justice officials said. Only members that frequently posted their own homemade child pornography were given the highest membership status and the greatest amount of access to the board itself, the agency said.

So far, 52 of the 72 people charged Wednesday have been arrested. Overall arrests in the case span five continents.

The investigation was led by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau, which cooperated with several international justice organizations, including Europol and Interpol, the Justice Department said.