Tell-tale clues in images could betray abusers

PAEDOPHILE hunters have taken the unprecedented step of releasing images from the backgrounds of sexually explicit photos so the public can spot clues.

Europol investigators have published 20 photos showing shampoo bottles, plastic bags, household ornaments and glimpses of properties where children have been sexually assaulted.

The European Union’s police force says it is a last-ditch attempt to crack the cases for which ‘every other investigative avenue’ has been exhausted.

Steven Wilson, a Police Scotland detective who heads Europol’s cyber-crime unit, said: ‘These are normally secretive types of investigations. We need the public to help us collect pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.’

Since the appeal was launched yesterday, Europol has had more than 2,000 calls and emails about where the products were sold.