A 16-year-old boy is set to appear in court on Tuesday after being arrested for his involvement in an international child exploitation network, following a collaborative investigation by South African and US law enforcement.
He was arrested for accessing, possession, facilitation, and downloading of child sexual abuse material.
The national police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk, said the South African Police Services (SAPS) worked in close collaboration with international law enforcement agencies to track down the teenager.
The teams included the SAPS’ National Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Team which used information received from the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Embassy, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Police said intelligence received from their investigation indicated that a target, suspected of being linked to violent online networks, commonly referred to as “764”, was believed to be located in South Africa.
“The “764” networks are violent international online extremist networks associated with child exploitation. These perpetrators reportedly target, blackmail, and coerce minors into online sexual abuse, torturing and murdering of animals and other forms of harmful criminal activity,” van Wyk said.
Following extensive investigations, the National SECI Team traced the teenager to an address in Malmesbury in the Western Cape, where he was arrested in the act on Monday.
The operation was led by the National SECI Team, supported by members of the Occult Unit, the Paarl Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, Paarl K9 Unit, and Western Cape Crime Scene Investigation Unit, as well as agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
“A preliminary on-site analysis of the suspect’s electronic devices uncovered explicit images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and animal mutilation. The devices will undergo comprehensive forensic analysis to determine the full extent of the alleged offences,” van Wyk said.
Police confirmed a number of child victims have been identified so far.
“The teenager is expected to appear before the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, August 18. The possibility of additional offences relating to fraud and money laundering forms part of ongoing investigations,” van Wyk said.
