Operation Cathedral: Difference between revisions

'''Operation Cathedral''' was a [[police]] [[Sting operation|operation]] that broke up a major international [[child pornography]] ring called ''The'' ''Wonderland Club'' operating over the [[Internet]]. It was led by the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[National Crime Squad]] in cooperation with 1,500 officers from 13 other police forces around the globeworld,<ref name=pedoring>{{cite webnews|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/1166643.stm|title=Paedophiles' vast 'lending library'|date=12 February 2001 |publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> who simultaneously arrested 104 suspects in 13 countries (including Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the UK, and the US) on 2 September 1998.<ref name="the Guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/11/tracymcveigh.martinbright|title=Members of international paedophile ring to be sentenced - UK news - The Observer|work=the Guardian|date=11 February 2001 |accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> The case received widespread international andattention due to the highly organised nature of the ring, has ledleading to apublic muchconcerns higherof concern for theonline [[child sexual abuse]] thatand islegislative childchanges pornography.{{Citationin needed|date=June 2014}}the UK.

''The'' ''Wonderland Club,'' (also officially known as ''w0nderland)'' named after ''[[Alice in Wonderland]]'',<ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/wonderland-club-with-a-sick-agenda-1.167573|title=Wonderland club with a sick agenda|work=Herald Scotland|date=16 November 2001 |accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> was described as "an international network of paedophiles involving the rape of boys and girls live on camera and the traffic in images of the torture of children as young as two months".<ref name="the Guardian" /> CreatedIt was created in 1995<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-02-11 |title=Members of international paedophile ring to be sentenced |url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/11/tracymcveigh.martinbright |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> by two American [[paedophiles]],<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1322551/Girl-8-raped-to-order-on-the-internet.html|title=Girl, 8, raped to order on the internet|author=Sean O'Neill|date=14 February 2001|work=Telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> including one named Peter Giordano,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/net-paedophiles-and-the-malice-of-wonderland-26247206.html|title=Net paedophiles and the malice of Wonderland|work=Independent.ie|date=18 February 2001 |accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> at the time of the sting, itand consisted ofin an international[[Internet ringRelay of 180 members.Chat]]<ref name=":2">{{citeCite web |title=Massive online child porn ring broken up |url=httphttps://www.dailymailzdnet.co.ukcom/newsarticle/articlemassive-23042online-child-porn-ring-broken-up/Internet |access-paedophilesdate=2022-jailed10-29 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}</ref> with an encryption system created initially by the former [[KGB]].html<ref>{{Cite news |date=1998-09-03 |title=InternetOperation paedophilesCathedral are|pages=4 jailed|work=MailThe Guardian Online|accessdateurl=8https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9396823/operation-cathedral/ October 2014|access-date=2022-10-29}}</ref> The investigation had been sparked by a tip-off from US police investigating the 1996 rape of an 8-year-old girl broadcast live to paedophiles by webcam.<ref name="pedoring" /><ref name=":3" /> The accused, Ronald Riva of [[Greenfield, California|Greenfield]], California, was in a paedophile gang called ''The Orchid Club''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/UK/02/13/paedophile.police/index.html?related|title=CNN.com - How police smashed child porn club - February 13, 2001|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Cops-Go-Undercover-Online-to-Nab-Internet-2974669.php|title=Cops Go Undercover Online to Nab Internet Pedophiles|date=7 December 1998|work=SFGate|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref>'' and was encouraged during the assault by 6six others, including Ian Baldock, a member of ''Wonderland''.<ref name="the Guardian" />

One reason for the high profile of the operation was the unusually high number of images involved possessed and, produced, and distributed by ''Wonderland'': members (more than 750,000 images and 1,800 videos). One requirement for entry to the club, apart from a recommendation from an existing member, was the expectation to supply 10,000 new or self-produced pornographic images of children.<ref name="the Guardian" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/11/tracymcveigh.martinbright|title=Members of international paedophile ring to be sentenced|lastlast1=Bright|firstfirst1=Martin|date=2001-02-11|work=The Observer|access-date=2019-06-23|last2=McVeigh|first2=Tracy|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> Despite substantial police work, only 17 of the 1,263 individuals appearing in the images have been identified:<ref name=":3" /> one from Argentina, one from Chile, one from Portugal, six from the United Kingdom, and seven from the United States. The Portuguese national was later identified as [[Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça]], an 11-year-old boy kidnapped in [[Lousada]] on 4 March 1998 and whose whereabouts are currently unknown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1336247/Internet-child-sex-perverts-escape-justice.html|title=Internet child sex perverts escape justice|last=O'Neill|first=Sean|date=3 August 2011|website=Telegraph|access-date=20 March 2019}}</ref>

* Ian Baldock, 31, computer consultant. Jailed for two-and-a-half years.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite webnews|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1169457.stm|title=Wonderland sentences a 'joke'|date=14 February 2001|publisher=|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

*Stephen Ellis, 40, computer salesman. Heavily encrypted his computer files. SuicidedCommitted suicide in January 1999 prior to the trial.<ref name=":0" />

*Gary Salt, taxi driver, former engineer, nicknamed "Jazz" and "chairman" of the club. Assisted the Cathedral sting by providing his login details. In 1998, he was sentenced to 12 years for sex offences.<ref name=":4" /> Released from prison in 2010 (having changed his name to Anthony Andrews) he was re-arrested months later when caught viewing indecent images on a computer in Old Trafford Library.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-13418051|title=Abuser viewed images in library|date=2011-05-16|access-date=2019-03-20|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/pervert-who-ran-infamous-wonderland-857088|title=Pervert who ran infamous 'wonderland' child porn network caught looking at sick images in Old Trafford library|author=Neal Keeling|work=men|date=25 March 2011 |accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref>

*Gavin Seagers, 29, computer consultant and [[Sea Cadets]] youth leader. nicknamedJailed "Spankfor Daddy"two years.<ref name=":2bbc.co.uk" /> JailedArrested and sentenced again in 2011 for twoa yearssimilar offence as Gavin Smith.<ref>{{Cite namenews|url="https://www.bbc.co.com/news/uk"-england-kent-19627049|title=Child sex chatroom man sentenced|date=2012-09-17|access-date=2019-07-15|language=en-GB}}</ref>

*Antoni Skinner, 36, computer consultant, nicknamed "Uhura" and "Satan". Skinner had a method of encryption, so officers could only find 390 images.{{cn|date=March 2019}} Jailed for 18 months.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />

==Legal concernschanges==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/2004081910555520060602133856/http://www.pressherald.mainetodaytime.com/specialrptstime/dangerarchive/clubpreview/0,10987,989082,00.htm International team ofhtml policeMain raidsStreet 'club'Monsters]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050124031648/http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=863 US Senator McCain uses Wonderland to argue for an internet filtering amendment ]

[[Category:September 1998 crimes in the United States]]