Warning: This story contains references to child sexual assault.
No newly generated material involving Australian children was identified during the investigation.
However, police could only go public with the findings now as the investigation using a covert operation has concluded.
In addition to the tens of thousands of photos recovered, police also found over 300 hours of child abuse videos.
AFP Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason said the investigation uncovered a “sad reality” lurking in corners of the online world.
“Our society has many individuals who will exploit children for their own perverse desires,” he said.
“The contents of this chat group are among the worst of the worst. This investigation has stopped people sharing violent abuse material and disrupted an online market of misery. But there is a tidal wave of this material on the internet and constant demands for more.”
The 26 men who were charged were located in Victoria, and most were not previously known to police.
He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment in September 2024.
A Central Victoria man was charged with more than 250 offences relating to transmitting, accessing, producing and soliciting child abuse material through various individuals he met in the group.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at the end of last year.
Detective Superintendent Tim McKinney from Victoria Police said some of the material was among the worst police had ever seen.
“Our investigators faced the distressing task of combing through 300+ hours of material,” he said
“There were also written conversations where these participants expressed their desire to find children and infants in real life.”
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Scott Amjah said he was stunned by the “volume and depravity” of the material his team uncovered during the investigation.
“[It] will stay with all of us,” he said.
“I think members of the public would be absolutely horrified by the content of the material that is circulated online these days.
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