International child porn ring broken after arrests

US authorities have charged 72 people with participating in an international child pornography network described as "a living horror".

Prosecutors claim that those charged used an online bulletin board called Dreamboard to trade tens of thousands of images and videos of sexually abused children.

Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said yesterday that a 20-month law-enforcement effort called Operation Delego targeted more than 600 Dreamboard members around the world for allegedly participating in the private, members-only internet club created to promote paedophilia.

Numerous participants in the network sexually abused children aged 12 and under, produced images and videos of the abuse and then shared it with other club members, according to court papers released in the case.

Fifteen arrested Dreamboard participants personally created child pornography, according to the Department of Justice.