18 March 2002

FBI Dismantles International Internet Child Pornography Ring

Ashcroft says group had 7,000 members, over 2,000 outside U.S.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has dismantled a computer-based pornography ring and arrested scores of its members, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced in Washington March 18.

Holding a news conference with FBI officials, Ashcroft revealed that the FBI's investigation, "Operation Candyman," began in January 2001 and that it continues.

In the past 14 months, he said, the "56 national FBI field offices investigated hundreds of individuals who were subscribers to the 'Candyman' email group," an on-line community whose members uploaded, downloaded or traded sexually explicit images of children.

The group had a single purpose, Ashcroft said, "to exploit and degrade children."

Twenty seven of those arrested have admitted to abusing 36 children, Ashcroft said.

He said at the briefing that the investigation has uncovered an estimated 7,000 members of the group, including some 2,400 outside the United States.

"It is clear that a new marketplace for child pornography has emerged from the dark corners of cyberspace. Innocent boys and girls have been targeted by offenders who view them as sexual objects," Ashcroft said in his remarks as delivered.

"There will be no free ride on the Internet for traffickers of child pornography," Ashcroft said, warning that those who engage in that activity would be tracked down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

"Forty individuals in 20 states are now in custody, with another 50 expected by week's end," FBI Executive Assistant Director Bruce Gebhardt, said. "They include members of the clergy, law enforcement officers, a nurse, a teachers aide, a school bus driver, and others entrusted with protecting, nurturing and educating the American youth."

Following is the text of Ashcroft's prepared remarks at the briefing:

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[March 18, 2002] Prepared remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft FBI Press Conference - "Operation Candyman"

Good afternoon. ... I am pleased to be able to be with you today, and to be able to commend everyone who has worked to make Operation Candyman a success since it began in January of 2001.

The work of the nation's law enforcement officers to make America's children safe now extends well beyond the physical world into the electronic universe of cyberspace. Many Americans use the internet, and the internet's e-mail groups, as productive forums where like-minded individuals can stay informed of current events as well as discuss things such as sports, travel destinations, occupational news, or their favorite TV shows.

Unfortunately, some in this country have used the internet to exploit America's young people by creating e-mail groups to promote and trade pictures of children being sexually exploited, and abused. It is clear that a new marketplace for child pornography has emerged in the dark corners of cyberspace. There, in e-groups hidden in the vastness of the internet, innocent boys and girls have been targeted by offenders who view them as sexual objects. These offenders have tried to use the technology and anonymity of the internet to trade child pornography, and they must be stopped. Today, I'm pleased to thank everyone who has been working to do just that.

Operation Candyman demonstrates both the scope of the problem of child pornography in this country, and the commitment of our nation's law enforcement efforts to shut it down. In the past 14 months, all 56 national FBI field offices investigated hundreds of individuals who were subscribers of "The Candyman" e-group. These individuals are spread across the country, and some hold positions of trust by parents such as bus drivers, teachers, or other educational roles. Operation Candyman is working to protect America's youth from those who would exploit the trust of children and parents.

When we pursue child pornography, the path often leads to evidence of real sexual predators who have abused real children. For example, in the days leading up to today's national arrest operation, the FBI has charged 86 people on child pornography grounds -- and 27 members of the Candyman e-group have been arrested who have admitted to molesting 36 children.

The FBI's efforts to initiate and lead Operation Candyman are not just appreciated by me -- they are appreciated by every American parent. In particular I would like to thank Bruce Gebhardt, the FBI's Executive Assistant Director, for his leadership and dedication to this effort, the Crimes Against Children unit, and the FBI's Houston field office that worked to shut down the Candyman egroup, and other cybergroups, after their discovery. They also worked to coordinate the resulting field investigations. I should note that this operation is just one part of the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative to investigate child pornography and individuals who travel to commit sexual offenses against children.

I also commend our U.S. Attorney's offices as well as the state and local law enforcement officers who assisted the FBI in their yearlong investigation and with today's national arrest operation. In particular, the Houston U.S. Attorney's office worked alongside the FBI's Houston office throughout the entire operation.

Also, the Child Exploitation Section of the Justice Department's Criminal Division played a role in coordinating and assisting the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's offices nationwide to investigate and prosecute the offenders that have been identified over the past 14 months. I thank them for their work to make this operation possible.

Indeed, the protection of our nation's children is a responsibility that we all share, and the coordination and cooperation that has been demonstrated by Operation Candyman is essential to its success. As many of you know, the Department of Justice has long been working to build a national network of state and local law enforcement agencies to respond to child pornography and cyber-enticement offenses through initiatives such as the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline that encourage citizens to report suspicious online activity to law enforcement.

Today's announcement emphasizes the resolve of the FBI, the nation's U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice to make sure that the information highway does not become a free-fire zone to target children. There will be no free-rides on the internet for traffickers of child pornography. Today I'd like to warn those who illegally prey on America's innocence: all levels of our nation's law enforcement will work together to use every resource available to identify, investigate and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

By investigating, prosecuting, and preventing child pornography, we are working to protect America's children and prevent future kids from becoming victims.

I'd like to thank everyone again for your work on this very important issue.

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