skip to content

Ukraine police uncover child sexual abuse ring involving Russian children

Suspect arrested and 15 children identified but authorities say war is hampering efforts to pursue case

001 22
Kyiv prosecutor Oleh Tkalenko: ‘What terrifies us is the large scale of these crimes in Russia.’ Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian

Ukraine police uncover child sexual abuse ring involving Russian children

Ukrainian police have uncovered a sprawling child sexual abuse network, involving dozens of Russian children whose images and videos were allegedly traded inside and outside the country, but said it was impossible to pursue the case further because of the war.

A Ukrainian man has been arrested and 15 children, all Russians currently residing in Russia, identified, but prosecutors in the Kyiv region have said they are not able to trace other victims or arrest other suspects because of the severing of Russia-Ukraine relations since the Kremlin’s invasion.

“These kinds of crimes are unfortunately common everywhere, in Ukraine and Europe,” said Oleh Tkalenko, a senior prosecutor for the Kyiv region, who led the investigation. “But what terrifies us is the large scale of these crimes in Russia.”

 

“The victims of these crimes are the most vulnerable segments of the population,” Tkalenko said. “Parents who push their children to do this are extremely poor. And it’s really hard to stop these files from spreading. And it’s really frustrating because, due to the conflict, all our contacts with Russian colleagues have been cut.”

The investigation began in June, when the Ukrainian police’s cybercrime unit received information that a large number of child sexual abuse images were being downloaded and stored in the Kyiv region.

Prosecutors a month later searched a house in Bucha where files containing more than 100,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse were found.

“We immediately tried to identify the children and victims of these crimes who were involved in the network,” Tkalenko said. “And we were shocked when we found out that they were all Russian citizens. We have identified 15 of them so far, but we are talking of dozens of children involved.”

Some of the victims were as young as nine years of age and came from various areas of Russia, including Moscow, Kaliningrad and Krasnodar.

The suspect has been placed under house arrest by judges pending a verdict. If convicted, the man faces up to five years in prison.

  • The NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Picture of Written by <span>Child Abuse Ukraine-Russia War</span>
Written by Child Abuse Ukraine-Russia War
About the Foundation
Logo
Preda Foundation Inc.

The work of Preda Foundation is focused on alleviating the physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse and suffering of children and preventing abuse through community education and social media.

Share this post
Facebook
Pinterest
WhatsApp
LinkedIn
Twitter