Operation ‘Mercadillo’ has resulted in the arrest of 25 people and charges brought against 20 others in connection with the possession and distribution of child pornography.
The investigation began a year ago and the latest raids were carried out in twenty-four provinces throughout Spain, including Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. A total of 49 homes were raided where it had been detected that users had been sharing the pornographic content via the P2P network Ares.
To locate the computer from which the files were being distributed, the Grupo de Delitos Telemáticos of the UCO developed a new version of the browser ‘Nautilus’ which was able to detect the exchange of material via Ares.
Computers, hard drives, DVD’s, CD’s and other materials were seized in the raids.