20 rescued, 144 arrested in major child abuse operation across South America

LYON, France - An international operation targeting child sex offenders has led to 144 arrests and enabled the safeguarding of 20 victims across South America.

During Operation Orion International, 12 South American countries joined forces to combat the production, distribution and possession of online child sexual abuse and exploitation material, focusing particularly on victim identification and rescue.

As a result of the operation, undertaken with the coordination and support of INTERPOL, 18 direct abusers were caught and 111 people were charged with possession and distribution of abuse material. Seven individuals wanted internationally for child sex offenses, who were the subjects of INTERPOL Red Notices, were also arrested as part of the crackdown.

The arrested individuals, predominantly men, were aged between 14 and 86 and came from diverse backgrounds. Their occupations included: professor, graphic designer, security guard, mechanic, musician, journalist, psychologist and taxi driver.

Case studies: child victims safeguarded after years of abuse

In Argentina, local authorities had identified abuse material circulating on messaging applications. With the support of INTERPOL and its additional data, authorities were able to identify and safeguard a nine-year-old victim who had suffered at least six years of abuse.

In a separate case in Chile, police identified an offender sharing child sexual exploitation material in messaging groups. Following his arrest, investigators analysed the seized information and established that the same person had also produced child sexual abuse material at the arrest location. This made it possible to identify and safeguard a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of the perpetrator's partner.

As part of Operation Orion International, participating countries were also asked to assess existing Red Notices for child sexual offenders believed to be living within their borders.

In one such case, Korean authorities had provided information about the manager of a website which shared child exploitation material. Thanks to the collaboration between Korea and Ecuador, with coordination from INTERPOL, the individual was apprehended.

International cooperation throughout South America

INTERPOL's Crimes Against Children unit analysed and consolidated this information, along with its existing data, and then shared this intelligence with participating countries. A preoperational meeting with prosecutors and investigators, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, laid out the roadmap for cross-border collaboration.

INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said:

"This operation, and the harrowing cases it exposed, is yet another reminder that child abusers are from all walks of life. Thanks to this international effort, children who have known a lifetime of abuse have been protected from further exploitation.

"INTERPOL will continue to work with all member countries in our continued, and vital, efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society."

As well as joint international action, the operation required cooperation at a national level, across multiple states. It resulted in arrests and victim identification in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The hardware seizures and evidence gathered during Operation Orion International have opened new avenues for investigation, with further results to follow.

Participating countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.