Cape arrest over ‘baby porn’
THE arrest this week of a Cape Town man for possession and distribution of child pornography is the latest coup in a global investigation driven by the FBI.
The operation, dubbed Cloud 9, has led to “unprecedented” successes in the fight against online child porn in Africa and has linked about 400 people worldwide to a baby porn ring.
On Tuesday, a 47-year-old logistics broker from Fish Hoek became the fifth person in South Africa to be arrested in connection with the operation.
The head of the South African operation, Lieutenant-Colonel Heila Niemand, said that after monitoring the man’s online activity since June, he was nabbed at his workplace in Parow.
The suspect texted his girlfriend to delete the porn on his personal computer at home. But she failed because police had been staking out the man’s house.
A search on his computer, which was constantly downloading images, revealed thousands of pornographic images, many involving the “violent abuse” of babies just a few days old. Niemand said the man would view these images on his 42-inch TV screen.
“The man confessed that he is addicted to porn and that he can’t stop viewing it. Like many others, he said he will get help,” said Niemand.
The suspect, Clinton Culder, briefly appeared in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. He has not yet pleaded to the charge.
In the operation 34 people were arrested globally, said Niemand, and more than 150 suspects — identified through the arrests — were under investigation.
Many of the suspects — often white, male and aged between 25 and 50 — were addicted to child pornography. Many did not have a good relationship with their spouses.
South African police expected to identify other targets and make more arrests in the months to come, Niemand said.
FBI spokesman Christopher Allen said from Washington: “The recent successes by South African police against online child sexual exploitation are unprecedented in the Africa region.”
Niemand said FBI agents had visited South Africa several times to assist with arrests.
“The FBI anticipates continuing co-operation with SAPS to mitigate the threat of online child sexual exploitation, identifying and rescuing children and neutralising high-threat paedophiles through detection, investigation and prosecution,” said Allen.
He said many paedophiles conspired with others, using “encryption” and “internet anonymity platforms” to escape law enforcement.
A Belgian police officer, Chief Inspector Tim van Eester, who was in South Africa this week for the latest bust, said: “Many paedophiles have the same fantasies — talking to children, planning their abduction, sharing these acts online, and often they do anything to make it a reality”.
The South African Law Reform Commission is investigating legislation on child pornography which is seen as “ineffective”.
“Legislation prescribing the investigation and prosecution of online child sexual exploitation varies tremendously from country to country and is often incompatible for effective international co-operation and coordination,” said Allen.
Successes by SA police unprecedented in Africa