Twenty-five people have been arrested in a global operation over AI-generated child sexual abuse material, said Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, in a statement Friday.
Operation Cumberland, which was led by Danish law enforcement, is one of the world’s first cases involving this kind of child abuse material, which Europol said made it “exceptionally challenging for investigators.”
The operation spanned 19 countries, including a number of European nations, as well as Australia and New Zealand, according to the statement.
The case began when a Danish man was arrested in November 2024, Europol said. The man allegedly produced AI-generated child sexual abuse material, then distributed it on an online platform he ran. Users would pay to access the platform and “watch children being abused,” Europol said.
Some 273 suspects were identified, with more arrests expected to take place in the coming weeks, the agency said.
Those already arrested were “part of a criminal group” whose members distributed fully AI-generated images of minors, it alleged.
“These artificially generated images are so easily created that they can be produced by individuals with criminal intent, even without substantial technical knowledge,” Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s Executive Director, said in the statement.
“This contributes to the growing prevalence of child sexual abuse material, and as the volume increases, it becomes progressively more challenging for investigators to identify offenders or victims,” she added.
Even though the content investigated in Operation Cumberland was “fully artificial” with “no real victim depicted,” AI-generated child sexual abuse material “still contributes to the objectification and sexualization of children,” the statement read.
The law enforcement agency will soon be launching an online campaign that will highlight “the consequences of using AI for illegal purposes,” it added.