'Operation Bakis' has so far led to 19 arrests in Australia and 79 arrests in the U.S., officials announced on Tuesday.
FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger and FBI Special Agent Dan Alfin were shot and killed in the line of duty serving a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 2, 2021.The deaths of Alfin and Schwartzenberger, who both specialized in investigating crimes against children, spurred a wider international probe into an illicit online platform whose members are accused of sharing child abuse material on the dark web, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Two people have been sentenced in Australia for their ties to the massive investigation, while the others have active cases in court, according to the federal police. In addition to the 19 arrests, authorities also removed 13 Australian children from harm over the course of the probe. Federal police allege some of those children were"directly abused" and others were removed as a precaution.
The suspects — who were arrested across Australia, including in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia — collectively face 138 charges related to the investigation. One suspect described as a"public servant" by federal police was already sentenced to 14 1/2 years in prison in June after pleading guilty to 24 charges.
Most of the suspects in Australia worked in jobs that required a high degree of knowledge in the field of information communications technology, the federal police said, noting that alleged members of the online platform"used software to anonymously share files, chat on message boards and access websites within the network." The suspects are accused of using methods like encryption to remain anonymous online and avoid being identified by law enforcement.
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