Late last year the FBI started running a child pornography website. It was a part of investigation against pedophiles. The Bureau ran the service for two weeks trying to identify more than 5,000 customers.
Law enforcement agencies of several U.S. states allowed the site to be active for two weeks under their precise control. During the investigation experts discovered over 24 thousand photographs depicting scenes of child rape.
The District Court of Nebraska allowed the FBI to search and arrest all users.
The FBI declined requests to discuss the investigation or investigators’ motivations to continue operating the site. Court records indicate investigators hoped to trace customers and were unable to achieve this by using traditional means.
“This remains an ongoing investigation, and local court rules and Department of Justice policy prohibit me from providing more information at this time,” said Sandy Breault, spokeswoman for the FBI Omaha Division. “As in any given matter, if charges are filed, they will eventually become a matter of public record.”
