Europol strikes major blow against creators of AI-generated child porn

According to Europol, international investigators have busted a criminal gang that was distributing AI-generated images of child sexual abuse online. In Operation Cumberland, authorities from 19 countries arrested 25 suspects on Wednesday this week. The operation was global in scope and is still ongoing, Europol announced. Criminal investigators from Denmark are leading the operation.

According to Europol, 273 suspects have been identified so far, 25 suspects have been arrested, 33 houses have been searched and 173 items have been seized. Further arrests are expected as Operation Cumberland continues.

Main suspect from Denmark

The main suspect is a Danish citizen and was already arrested in November 2024. He is said to have operated an online platform on which the material he created using artificial intelligence was distributed. After making a symbolic payment, users around the world were able to obtain a password to access the platform and view child abuse.

Operation Cumberland is one of the first cases involving AI-generated depictions of child abuse. Investigators are facing major challenges, particularly because there is still no case law on these crimes in the countries concerned. However, EU member states are currently discussing a common regulation proposed by the EU Commission, according to Europol.

Online child abuse is one of the most threatening forms of cybercrime in the EU, Europol emphasizes. Combating it is a top priority for law enforcement authorities, while at the same time they are faced with a growing amount of illegal content. Self-generated images of child abuse represent a significant proportion of all child abuse material. AI models that are able to create or modify images are misused by perpetrators to create such material and blackmail. These models are widely available and have evolved rapidly, creating material that increasingly resembles real images, making it difficult to identify as artificially created.

This presents the authorities with "significant challenges" in identifying the real victims. Even in cases where the material is completely artificial and no real victims are depicted, as uncovered in Operation Cumberland, the AI-generated child abuse depictions contribute to the objectification and sexualization of children, the European police authority explains.

However, Operation Cumberland is not only about prosecution, but also about education to prevent further incidents. Europol is planning a campaign with its partners to highlight the consequences of using AI for illegal purposes and to target potential offenders where they are most active, namely online. Law enforcement officers from numerous countries are involved in the operation, including Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, France, Iceland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the United Kingdom.

(dmk)