More than two dozen alleged members of a criminal group have recently been arrested for having allegedly distributed sexual images of minors generated by artificial intelligence.
“Operation Cumberland”, led by the Danish police forces and supported by agencies in 18 other countries, has identified 273 suspects and more arrests are expected in the coming weeks, according to a press release from Europol. The operation also involved 33 searches for houses and 173 electronic devices entered so far.
The main suspect, an anonymous Danish national, was arrested in November 2024 for managing an online platform that distributed the equipment generated by the AI. Users around the world were able to pay access to images and videos.
The operation is one of the first surveys involving sexual abuse equipment on children generated by AI (CSAM), according to Europol. Although there are no real victims represented in the videos, AI models can modify authentic images and make the identification of source equipment more difficult.
“These artificially generated images are so easily created that they can be produced by people with criminal intention, even without substantial technical knowledge,” said Europol executive director Catherine de Bolle, in a press release. “This contributes to the growing prevalence of children’s sexual abuse material, and as the volume increases, it gradually becomes more difficult for investigators to identify offenders or victims.”
As part of the operation, Europol and its partners plan to launch an online campaign highlighting the consequences of using AI aimed at people buying illegal content. They will also send warning letters and punch – a tactic for applying the law which involves knocking on the door of a suspect and asking to search the premises.
Registered future
Intelligence cloud.
