Undercover operations conducted under the umbrella of the ‘Sweetie Project’, have led to a series of arrests of child sexual abuse offenders in several European countries. 72-Year old Dutch national Hans v C was apprehended earlier this month and described as a serious child sex offender by law enforcement. The arrest follows earlier arrests last month of British national Matthew B. and Norwegian Jomar K. Several others are under investigation. All of these individuals are known to have paid for sex shows involving children from the Philippines.
The Sweetie Project, initiated by Dutch NGO Terre des Hommes, focuses on individuals paying to watch children being abused online. This live streaming of child sexual abuse, or webcam sex, is spreading like an epidemic, particularly in the Philippines, where thousands of children fall victim to this 21st century form of child sexual exploitation.
Applying avatars (digital images of children) and Artificial Intelligence, the Sweetie project seeks to intercept, identify and deter child sex abusers. In addition, associate Peter Dupont, an experienced Belgian investigative journalist , carries out undercover operations to infiltrate and interrupt the activities of organized gangs and pimps involved in these serious crimes against children. With the assistance of victims dozens of paying customers have now been identified, details of whom have been shared with law enforcement all over the world.
According to Peter these arrests demonstrate not just the urgent need for civil participation in fighting these heinous crimes, but also the benefits.
(the girl in this photo is an actress)
