Australian Federal Police have rescued dozens of children from abuse after busting a massive alleged global pedophile ring.
Operation Arkstone, a large-scale AFP taskforce, has resulted in 14 men being arrested on 828 charges of child exploitation and bestiality.
Incredibly, 46 children have been saved from further abuse, including 16 from a child care centre. The child victims range in age from 16 months to 15 years, with an average age of eight years.
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The alleged offenders have been accused of producing and/or sharing child abuse material to an online network of Australian and overseas peers.
One of the men who has been charged in Operation Arkstone is a former child care worker in New South Wales. Police say he used his position and 'other deceptive means in his personal life' to get access to 30 children.
The 27-year-old is now facing more than 300 charges, including sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years; indecent assault of a children under 16 years, and intentionally sexually touching a child under 10 years.
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He's due to front court in Port Macquarie Court on January 21 next year.
The parents and carers of the children who attended the child care centre have been told about the investigation.
The AFP was tipped off from the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children after someone online allegedly started uploading child abuse material.
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That information led the Federal Police to locate a 30-year-old Wyong man who was arrested in February earlier this year. He's been charged with 89 counts of child abuse charges, including alleged contact offending of two children.
Search warrants executed at that address allowed investigators access to a social media forum where members were circulating and uploading their own child abuse material. This allowed them to find more alleged offenders as well as track down and rescue victims.
The professions of the alleged offenders range from a child care worker, volunteer soccer coach, disability support worker, through to an electrician, supermarket employee and chef.
Through their investigation, they've managed to find alleged offenders in Europe, Asia, United States and Canada, and New Zealand and have made 146 international referrals to other authorities.
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AFP Acting Commander Child Protection Operations Christopher Woods said the scale of offending uncovered in the Operation Arkstone network was unprecedented in an AFP-led operation.
"The dedicated investigators and forensic specialists from the AFP, NSW Police and HSI have spent most of 2020 working tirelessly after each arrest to piece together information that identified more victims and the people allegedly abusing and exploiting them," he said.
"Victims were often identified through seemingly minor details in photos and videos - analysis that is time-consuming and painstaking, but vital to supporting the rescue of these children and the identification and prosecution of their abusers.
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"No child should be subjected to abuse and violence from people who hold high positions of trust in their lives, whether it be a family member, child care worker or soccer coach.
"Police will allege Operation Arkstone revealed a network of abuse, where the alleged offenders in the forums encouraged and emboldened each other to engage in acts of depravity and abuse of children.
"What this highlights is that offenders are across age groups, occupations and are in positions of trust. Parents need to be vigilant about who has access to their children."
Featured Image Credit: Australian Federal Police