An international operation has led to the arrest of 25 individuals suspected of producing and distributing images of child sexual abuse generated through artificial intelligence (AI), Europol reported on Friday. Further arrests are expected to follow, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The operation, codenamed 'Operation Cumberland', mainly took place in Denmark. However, Europol and authorities of 18 other countries, including the Belgian Federal Judicial Police, participated in the investigation.
The main suspect is a Danish man who was arrested in November 2024. The man had set up an online platform on which he distributed images of sexual violence against minors, which he had previously produced using AI. Internet users from all over the world could access it with a password obtained for a fee.
Operation Cumberland is one of the first to involve images generated by AI of sexual violence against children. This made the task of investigators difficult, particularly due to the lack of national legislation concerning these offences. "In this regard, the EU Member States are currently examining a common regulation proposed by the European Commission to address this new issue and protect children from sexual violence," explained Europol in a statement.
Europol director, Catherine De Bolle, underscored that artificially generated images are so easy to create that they can be produced by individuals without in-depth technical knowledge. "This contributes to the growing prevalence of material showing sexual violence against children and, as the volume increases, it becomes increasingly difficult for investigators to identify the perpetrators and victims," she said.
De Bolle added that law enforcement agencies need to develop new methods and tools to deal with the challenges.
Europol reiterates that even in situations where the content is entirely artificial and no "real" victims are depicted, as is the case in Operation Cumberland, AI-generated images of child sexual abuse contribute to the sexualisation of children.
