Interpol hunt 'net child abuser'
Monday, 08 Oct 2007 10:10
Interpol released a series of photos of the man on its website
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Photographs of a man seen apparently sexually abusing children on the internet have been released by Interpol.
In a rare move by the multinational police agency, images of the man have been circulated across the world.
The pictures had originally been digitally manipulated so that the man could not be identified but computer experts have managed to produce a series of identifiable images.
Technology scientists from Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) in Germany and Interpol's trafficking in human beings unit removed the distortions, leading to the first public appeal of this kind.
Police say a number of images posted on the internet show the man abusing children, but they have so far been unable to identify him.
"For years images of this man sexually abusing children have been circulating on the internet," Interpol secretary General Ronald Noble said.
"We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens.
"We have very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children and as a 186-member country police organisation, Interpol is uniquely positioned to coordinate this global effort to identify and bring him to justice."
According to police, the images have been derived from about 200 pictures posted on the web involving 12 different young boys, all of which are thought to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2002 or 2003.
Anyone who recognises the man has been urged to contact Interpol or local police immediately and asked not to take any action themselves.
"The decision to make public this man's picture was not one which was taken lightly, but after thoughtful consideration and with the full agreement of experts from Interpol's member countries dedicated to fighting this appalling criminal activity," added Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's trafficking in human beings unit.
"We are certainly not encouraging members of the public to take any direct action themselves, particularly since any positive identification would need to be confirmed law enforcement authorities but if anyone recognizes this person, or has any information that could help investigators, please contact the police or Interpol national central bureau in your country."
All the photos can be viewed on Interpol's website.