A joint effort between the Justice Department and the FBI has led to the conviction of 18 men and the dismantling of four dark websites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
The websites shut down by Operation Grayskull attracted more than 120,000 members, included millions of files, and garnered at least 100,000 visits in a single day, one FBI official told CBS News.
Operation Grayskull also has resulted in convictions of dark web leaders and users from Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Texas, Washington, Arkansas, Michigan, and Oklahoma.
"Even for prosecutors, it is difficult to understand how pervasive this is," Matthew Galeotti, head of DOJ Criminal Division, told CBS News.
"Because it happens on the dark web, people aren't aware of it. It's extremely troubling.”
The dark web, a hidden part of the internet, requires specific software to access. It is known for its anonymity and often is used for illegal activities.
The DOJ last week announced that Operation Grayskull led to a Minnesota man being sentenced to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of those dark websites. Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, also was ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.
"This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a release. "We've not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we've also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children."
According to the DOJ and FBI, the websites shut by Operation Grayskull were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture.
Galeotti told CBS News that members of the dark web child abuse sites often "earn" membership by paying a fee, "helping moderate the site," or contributing child abuse images or material.
"We luckily have very sophisticated prosecutors and agents who work specifically on this kind of thing," he said. "These are people who have a more of a technical understanding."
The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Operation Grayskull was launched in 2020.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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