U.S. and Australian authorities arrested 98 people (79 in the United States and 19 in Australia) who were involved in an international child sex trafficking ring. This raid, dubbed "Operation Bakis" was conducted jointly by the FBI and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It began with the murder of two U.S. federal agents in Florida in 2021.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed that several children were rescued. "Nineteen men have been charged and 13 Australian children have been removed from harm under an AFP-coordinated investigation into a sophisticated online child abuse network," Australian police said in a statement.
Internet-savvy criminals
The criminals arrested in Australia. Two of them have already been sentenced, and the rest are in the middle of the judicial process. They are accused of 138 offenses related to sexual abuse of minors. They are between 32 and 81 years old, and many of them have high degrees of internet literacy, AFP explained:
Most of the alleged Australian offenders, some who are also accused of having produced their own child abuse material to share with other members of the network, were employed in occupations that required a high degree of ICT [information and communication technology] knowledge. Members used software to anonymously share files, chat on message boards and access websites within the network. Network members were able to search for and distribute images and videos of child abuse material and allegedly used encryption and other methods to avoid law enforcement detection.
An international police operation that lasted for two years
In 2021, FBI agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were killed by David Lee Huber while executing a search warrant at a property located in Sunrise, Fla. Three other officers were injured, and the killer committed suicide before he was arrested. Shortly thereafter, the FBI began investigating an international child sex trafficking ring and alerted law enforcement in several countries, including Australia. The collaboration between the U.S. federal agency and the AFP formally began in 2022.
"The success of Operation Bakis was only possible because of the close working relationship between the AFP-led ACCCE and the FBI, and our dedicated personnel who never give up working to identify children who are being sexually assaulted or living with someone who is sharing child abuse material," said AFP Commander Helen Schneider. "The success of Operation Bakis demonstrates the importance of partnerships for law enforcement, at a national level here in Australia, but also at an international level."
For her part, FBI Legal Attaché in Canberra, Australia, Nitiana Mann, said:
We are proud of our longstanding relationship with the Australian Federal Police resulting in 19 Australian men facing criminal prosecution as a result of our collaborative investigation. ... The complexity and anonymity of these platforms means that no agency or country can fight these threats alone. As we continue to build bridges through collaboration and teamwork, we can ensure the good guys win and the bad guys lose.
