U.S., Russia Announce Joint Child Porn Bust

March 26 -- Shutting down a Russian Web site that allegedly sold child pornography, authorities have arrested four people in the United States and five people in Moscow.

The arrests are part of a multinational effort to clamp down on suspected child pornographers, said officials with the U.S. Customs Service and the Moscow City Police, who announced the arrests today.

"The message today should be unmistakable to anybody in that supply chain. The United States Customs Service is engaged with other law enforcement agencies here and abroad in a worldwide assault on the producers, distributors and purchasers of child pornography," said Acting U.S. Customs Commissioner Charles Winwood at a press conference today.

Last May, Moscow City Police requested the assistance of the U.S. Customs attache in Moscow to identify and investigate the individuals responsible for a Web site depicting the sexual and physical abuse of children.

The Russian Web site was selling child pornography videotapes online and through the mail to customers in the United States and Europe, according to the Customs Service.

It's the third child pornography distribution network taken down through the cooperation of Customs and Moscow police.

A Global Investigation

The investigation, called Operation Blue Orchid, used Custom's CyberSmuggling Center, located in Fairfax, Va. Officials conducted an undercover purchase from the Blue Orchid Web site, allegedly operated by two Russians: Sergey Garbko and Vsevolod Solntsev-Elbe.

Information obtained from the buy led Moscow police to Elbe, who was detained, along with a 13-year-old boy last December. Elbe told police he had transported the boy to Moscow for the purpose of sexual exploitation, according to the Customs Service.

A search of Elbe's apartment led to the seizure of 400 videotapes, video duplication equipment, and sales and shipping records. Moscow police forwarded information to U.S. officials, including names of people who allegedly ordered child pornography from the site. Police also sent about 50 leads to U.S. Customs offices around the world.