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ATHENS, Ga. (WTVC) — A Georgia man known as “ThePedoMan” on child porn websites has been sentenced in federal court for possession of child pornography. “Dark net sites that profit from the sexual exploitation of children are among the most vile and reprehensible forms of criminal behaviour,” said US Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski. “Darknet sites that profit from the sexual exploitation of children are among the most vile and reprehensible forms of criminal behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a statement. Jong Woo Son, 23, was charged with nine counts — including one count advertising child pornography, two counts distributing child pornography, and three counts of money laundering. Authorities also announced that 337 users of the site, known as Welcome to Video, had been arrested and charged. Those users resided in 23 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 11 countries.
She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media. He faces a minimum penalty of five years, and a maximum of 20 years, in federal prison. If your reports list a credit card account under your name that you don’t remember opening, that might be a sign that thieves have used your personal information to sign up for a card in your name. Call that credit card provider and tell them that you never opened the account. The agency also arrested Ross Ulbricht, the real person behind the Dread Pirate Roberts fake name. Ulbricht is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The images, which are being analyzed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, contained over 250,000 unique videos, and 45 percent of the videos currently analyzed contain new images that have not been previously known to exist. The report states many of the people who engage in the production and distribution of child pornography come from all walks of life and most don’t even have a criminal history. Many of the crimes are carried out on the “dark web,” also know as Tor -a browser which allows users to remain anonymous. The dark web contains content that’s only accessible through networks like Tor. Tor browsers create encrypted entry points and pathways for the user, so dark web activity remains anonymous.
Understanding the Dark Web and Its Link to Child Porn
In response, many local support clubs were disbanded, and adult book shops narrowed their range of products to avoid prosecution. According to court documents and evidence at trial, Clint Robert Schram, 55, of Kansas City, hosted, managed, and maintained four different websites from his home. Each of these websites operated over the dark web, and each was devoted to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Among those frequently communicating on the forum are many VIPs and administrators, once more underlining their importance in sustaining the online CSAM community. Studying a darknet CSAM forum—one that did not require candidate members to submit a post—Van der Bruggen et al. (2022) found that during the 8‑month period this forum was online, nearly 97% of its visitors did not communicate on the public part of the forum. These 97% accounts were classified by this research as “lurkers” or commonly referred by members of the online CSAM communities as “free-riders”—users who benefit from the community but do not contribute.
- Three of the men arrested were accused of founding and maintaining the forum, and one was described as one of the forum’s most active users, contributing over 3500 posts.
- The dark web may be safe in some cases—think legitimate content—and not in others.
- Such operations are facilitated by cybercrime and transnational organised crime treaties which address child sex abuse material and the trafficking of women and children.
- Before clicking any of the dark web links below, you’ll need to get the Tor Browser (also called the Onion Browser) or another service that provides dark web access, such as the Brave browser.
Once you’re in, you go searching for the illegal stuff the same way the pedophiles do — they have set up a system to make it easier for them to find each other. So, while they don’t like to advertise, child pornographers do have their own Wikipedia, which is accessible through Tor. It’s named “Hard Candy,” because there is no God and whatever odious being vomited us into existence abandoned us to the void long ago. Users, who could view videos and upload their own, paid for the service with hard-to-trace bitcoin.
The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that is not indexed by standard search engines. It operates anonymously, facilitating various activities—some legal, while others are highly illegal and immoral.
It was seemingly at first motivated by money, with an initial message on the site demanding a small payment of 0.1 bitcoin ($101) for the return of 75GB of files and 2.6GB of databases the hackers had managed to download and then wipe from the service. Barnes admitted during an interview to searching for, downloading and watching child porn on the website and that he struggled with the addiction for a number of years, the DOJ said. It’s important to remember, though, that the dark web isn’t used solely for criminal activities. There’s a dark web version of Facebook, for instance, that people can use if they live in a country that censors social media.
What is the Dark Web?
The dark web consists of a network of encrypted websites, accessible only through specific software such as Tor. This anonymity attracts users for various reasons:
- Privacy and anonymity
- Access to restricted information
- Black market activities
The Disturbing Reality of Child Porn on the Dark Web
One of the most heinous activities associated with the dark web is the distribution and consumption of child porn. This illicit content deeply harms victims and raises moral and legal issues for society at large.
Accessing and sharing child porn on the dark web is not only illegal but also contributes to an ongoing cycle of abuse and exploitation. It is vital to understand how this network operates:
How Child Porn is Distributed on the Dark Web
How To Access The Dark Web
- Specialized forums and websites are dedicated to sharing child porn.
- Encrypted communications are often used to facilitate transactions.
- Users may use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to maintain anonymity.
The Psychological and Legal Implications
The existence of child porn on the dark web raises significant concerns:
- Victim Impact: Every image or video represents a child who has been abused, causing lifelong trauma.
- Legal Consequences: Authorities around the world are cracking down on these activities, leading to severe penalties for offenders.
- Ethical Concerns: The consumption of such content perpetuates the demand for child exploitation.
FAQs About Child Porn and the Dark Web
Q: How do people access the dark web?
A: Users typically download specific browsers like Tor, which allows them to access encrypted websites not available on the regular internet.
Q: What are the legal repercussions of accessing child porn?
A: Users found in possession of child porn can face severe legal penalties, including imprisonment and mandatory registration as sex offenders.
Q: How can one report child porn discovered on the dark web?
A: Individuals should report such incidents to local law enforcement or organizations specializing in combating child exploitation.
Conclusion
The issue of child porn on the dark web is a grim but critical topic that society must confront. It is essential to educate the public on the dangers and ethical implications, promote awareness, and take action against these heinous crimes. Protecting children from exploitation should be a collective responsibility, and standing up against such vile acts is imperative for a safer future.
