A global law enforcement operation has dismantled KidFlix, one of the world’s largest child sex abuse streaming platforms, German investigators announced on Wednesday.
The operation, coordinated by Europol and supported by authorities in 38 countries, targeted the dark web site, which had approximately 1.8 million registered users.
Authorities identified nearly 1,400 suspects worldwide, leading to 79 arrests.
According to Europol, KidFlix, which was established in 2021, hosted more than 91,000 unique videos, totaling over 6,288 hours of abusive content. Unlike traditional sites that allowed users to download files, KidFlix provided streaming services, making it easier to access and distribute the illegal material.
“The operation is one of the biggest blows against child pornography in recent years, if not ever,” said Guido Limmer, deputy head of the Bavarian criminal police.
Limmer described the material found on the platform as “unimaginably horrific,” including abuse against children, toddlers, and even babies in high-resolution video formats.
Authorities launched the crackdown in March, searching locations in 31 countries. More than 3,000 electronic devices were confiscated, including a hard drive seized in a joint German-Dutch raid containing around 72,000 videos of child abuse.
Efforts to identify victims resulted in interventions to safeguard 39 children. German authorities successfully stopped ongoing abuse in 12 cases and removed children from dangerous environments on 96 occasions.
One of the arrests involved a 36-year-old man from Chemnitz, Germany, who had offered his young son for abuse.
Police identified him after discovering his online activity on KidFlix. The child was taken into protective custody.
Investigators also tracked down a suspected serial abuser in the United States.
Thomas Goger, a senior prosecutor from the Bamberg public prosecutor’s office, revealed that most suspects were between 20 and 40 years old, with an average age of 31. The youngest identified user was born in 2006, while the oldest was in their seventies.
“The investigation is far from over,” Goger said, noting that authorities are still working to identify the platform’s operator.
“Together with our partners at home and abroad, we have secured massive amounts of data, all of which need to be evaluated,” he added.
As investigations continue, authorities remain committed to dismantling similar criminal networks and bringing those responsible to justice.
