In a large-scale campaign against child pornography, investigators searched 26 apartments in Lower Franconia. The police and the public prosecutor announced on Thursday that 28 men were identified who are said to have disseminated images of abuse. Some were temporarily arrested, but none were taken into custody. During the searches on Wednesday, evidence such as storage media was secured, the investigators said. The evaluation will now take some time. During a search, the suspect’s mother resisted the patrol, she expects a corresponding investigation.
As seen nationwide, the number of cases in the field of child pornography has also increased in Lower Franconia in recent years, according to the investigators. In 2018 there were 225 criminal offenses registered, in 2020 there were 541 cases. The trend for 2021 will continue to rise significantly, said the police and the public prosecutor. The action had clearly shown the perpetrators that they could not hide in the anonymity of the Internet. The campaign represents the prelude to further combating child pornography and child abuse in Lower Franconia.