The FBI seized and ran a child pornography website for two weeks in November 2012, according to a recently filed letter to the court. The site, referred to only as “Website A” in court documents, was confiscated and then run by the Bureau from November 16 through December 2 in an attempt to identify its more than 5,000 customers, reports the Seattle PI.
This marks a departure from the FBI’s normal mode of operation, being the first time a child pornography sting akin to this operation has been executed, according the Seattle PI. Law enforcement agencies typically rely on tips or undercover officers posing as customers to root out pedophiles and producers of child porn.
Agents were unable to identify users solely through service records from the site, so the FBI opted to continue operation of the site to track them down.
At the time “Website A” was shut down, its 5,600 users had shared over 10,000 photos in over 24,000 posts, nearly all of which were related to child pornography, according to an FBI report to the court. The brief summation of the site’s contents revealed the despicable intentions of its users. Forum topics included resources for avoiding detection online through encryption, and threads titled “How to lure a child in my car,” “Meeting other pedos in real life,” and “Do kids LIKE anal sex?”
As charges have not yet been filed in the case, there are no names publicly attached to the investigation. The FBI declined to comment, stating that it remains an open investigation, but details will be a matter of public record once prosecution begins.
