Australian police arrests 14 men on child abuse charges


(Reuters) – Fourteen men including a former childcare worker have been charged with producing and sharing child-abuse material through an online network across Australia and overseas, Australian police said on Wednesday.

The investigation conducted in cooperation with U.S. Homeland Security personnel identified 46 Australian victims, including 16 from a single childcare centre, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement.

The suspects had links to alleged offenders found in online forums in Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Police did not rule out further arrests.

The arrests come weeks after Australian authorities charged 44 men with possessing and producing child-abuse material after a year-long investigation.