Spanish police arrest 66 in child porn sweep

updated 7:38 a.m. ET July 15, 2007

MADRID, Spain - Spanish police investigating a child pornography ring have arrested 66 people and seized computer hard drives containing 48 million photographs and video images, officials said Sunday.

The nationwide sweep came after a 10-month investigation that was coordinated with Interpol and began with information supplied by the Germany police, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry statement did not say when the raids were carried out.

Investigators analyzed Web sites where the photographs and video images of children being abused were available and monitored more than 5,000 downloads. That led them to identify 85 suspects, out of which 66 have been arrested so far, the ministry statement said.

The operation required 300 specialist agents, involved 50 courthouses and stretched across 40 of Spain’s 57 provinces.

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