Creator of Biggest Kiddie Porn Site Now in Jail, 300 Child Victims Rescued, Says F.B.I.
The F.B.I. announced that it has finally sent to prison the man behind what is believed to be the largest "kiddie porn" website and rescued an estimated 300 child victims of the culprit.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation website, 58-year-old Steven W. Chase was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of multiple child pornography and child exploitation charges.
Since his sentence, around 900 arrests have been made on suspected pedophiles, The Daily Mail reported. Meanwhile, an estimated 300 children who were victims have been identified and rescued.
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The Naples, Florida resident began the website "Playpen" in 2014. Chase used an open network that allowed users of the site to access it anonymously and users uploaded and viewed pornographic videos with the use of these "hidden service" websites.
While the government agency learned of the existence of the hidden site, they initially had a hard time tracking it.
However, Chase accidentally revealed the website's IP address and the F.B.I. followed its activities enough for them to make an arrest.
After the agency arrested the men behind the website, they launched an entrapment operation for the users and patrons of the site called "Operation Pacifier." The special project was done with the help of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Arrests were made globally with some of the suspects found in Malaysia, Chile, Israel, Turkey, Ukraine and Peru, among others.
The agency also identified and located 55 American children and around 296 foreign national kids who were all victims of Chase's child pornography website.
While the F.B.I. was successful in taking down "Playpen," similar sites have come up, and the agency is doing its best to bust them as well.
Special Agent Dan Alfin from the FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children department said they are doing what they can to eliminate these sites as well as arrest the creators behind it.
"It's ongoing and we continue to address the threat to the best of our abilities," said the agent. "It's the same with any criminal violation: As they get smarter, we adapt, we find them. It's a cat-and-mouse game, except it's not a game. Kids are being abused, and it's our job to stop that."
