Australian police on Monday said detectives have charged four men operating out of the suburbs of Sydney for their alleged involvement in an international criminal gang sharing images of child sexual abuse involving symbols linked to Satanism on the internet.
Detectives said they carried out six search warrants in Waterloo, Ultimo and Malabar on November 27.
The four men were communicating with each other and sharing “explicit” child abuse material through a website that was administered internationally, according to the head of the New South Wales (NSW) police sex crimes squad.
Jayne Doherty stated that police seized multiple electronic devices, discovering thousands of abuse videos involving children ranging from infant age to 12 years old.
“Police will allege in court that this international group were engaging in conversations and the sharing of material which depicted child abuse and the torture of children, involving symbols and rituals linked to Satanism and the occult,” she said.
Four men alleged to be part of wider ring sharing images of child abuse
Doherty said detectives became aware of the possible involvement of four based out of Sydney in November.
At the Waterloo address, police arrested a 26-year-old man, who police will allege played a leading role in the group.
The 26-year-old was charged with several counts of making available, accessing and possessing child abuse material and other charges.
At a unit block in Malabar, detectives arrested three men aged 46, 42 and 39. All three were each charged with possession of child abuse material and other offenses.
All four men were refused bail and were due to return to court at a later date.
NSW Police were combing through the files to help identify victims from Australia and internationally.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse