The case began in November 2001 following a request for assistance from Danish National Police (DNP). The DNP had previously received information from "Save the Children," an international organization devoted to child development and relief. The group had discovered photographs on the Internet of a man sexually abusing a young girl.

A man and his wife were arrested by DNP after investigators learned that they had posted images on the Internet of their nine-year-old daughter being molested. The images were shared over the Internet with individuals in other countries including the United States. A search of the couple's computer revealed names of individuals thought to be members of the ring.

In January 2002, the DNP forwarded information from the couple's computer to agents at the Customs CyberSmuggling Center in Northern Virginia. Information from the couple's computer led Customs agents to men in California. Evidence obtained from the search of the suspects' computers led Customs agents to individuals in 10 other states.

U.S. Customs identified members of the group in California, Idaho, Nevada, Florida, New York, Washington, New Jersey, Michigan, South Carolina, Illinois, and Texas. So far, 20 people have been arrested worldwide, including 10 in the United States.

According to an indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, members of the ring, referring to themselves as "the club," e-mailed each other requesting photographs of children in specific sexual poses. In one case, a member swapped his children with another pedophile to be sexually abused. The most disturbing aspect of the case is that the majority of the abuse occurred at the hands of parents.

Said Commissioner Bonner at the August 9 press event, "This is a difficult case to announce, because I have rarely seen crimes as despicable and repugnant as those involved in this case . . . the normal safe harbor for many of these children-their parents-turned out to be their chamber of horrors.

Fifteen members of the ring were charged in the indictment. They all were charged with Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Children, Sexual Exploitation of Children, and Receiving and Distributing Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. If convicted on all charges, defendants could face up to 60 years in prison.

Officials from the Customs CyberSmuggling Center credit the DNP, the U.S. Customs attaché in Berlin, INTERPOL, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of California, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for their role in cracking the child pornography ring.