An anti-pedophilia operation in South America saves 20 victims

(ANSA) – BUENOS AIRES, SEPTEMBER 26 – A mega-operation against pedophilia in Latin America has rescued 20 victims and led to the arrest of 144 people. Interpol announced this on its website. The operation, called Orion International, involved law enforcement agencies and investigators from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, in coordination with the international organization. The twelve countries joined forces to combat the production, distribution and possession of content related to child sexual abuse and exploitation on the Internet, focusing in particular on identifying and rescuing victims. According to the statement, “18 direct attackers were arrested, while 111 people are accused of possession and distribution of child pornography content and seven people are wanted internationally for sexual crimes against children and are the subject of Interpol red alert” . The arrested people, mostly men aged between 14 and 86, have different profiles. Among the professions: a teacher, a graphic designer, a security guard, a mechanic, a musician, a journalist, a psychologist and a taxi driver. Among the cases, in Argentina, the operation led to the identification and rescue of a nine-year-old victim who had been abused for at least six years. In Chile, a man was arrested for exchanging sexual content of minors in various messaging groups. The arrest led to the rescue of a 14-year-old girl. The investigation was conducted between May and September 2024, based on reports from Chilean and Argentine investigators. (HANDLE).