Four charged as child porn ring smashed

FOUR people have been charged in the Lothians in connection with an international online paedophile ring.

Police confirmed today the group were targeted as part of the investigation into the ring which involved more than 700 suspects in 35 countries.

Ringleader Martin Cox, 28, was jailed yesterday after a police "sting".

Police said at least 15 British children had been rescued from horrific sex abuse as a result of the investigation.

Up to 200 suspects in Britain are thought to be involved, including four in the Lothians.

A spokesman for Lothian and

Borders police confirmed today: "A number of people have been charged with offences and reported to the procurator fiscal."

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), the organisation that co-ordinated the investigation, said it had been the biggest co-ordinated, collaborative effort against paedophiles operating on the internet.

He said: "This group . . . were like-minded predators. They would arrange to meet to view a child being raped and brutalised in real time.

"These children ranged from the very, very young - babies - to those in their early teens.

"From the apparent 'safety' of his home, Cox spent hours each day planning, promoting and encouraging the abuse and exploitation of innocent young victims.

"In doing so he provided a service to hundreds of like-minded individuals, enabling those with a sexual interest in children to share indecent images and discuss further plans for abuse."

Cox, who lived with his parents, sister and 26-year-old girlfriend, admitted nine offences of possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

He yesterday got an indeterminate jail sentence at Ipswich Crown Court, meaning he will be released only when he is seen as no longer posing a danger to the public.

Cox hosted the website known as Kids the Light of Our Lives, and masqueraded behind the online identity Son of God.

He was said to have sent an average of 200 images a day to other paedophiles from his bedroom at his family's farm.

The chatroom he was running was discovered by Canadian police. They tipped off undercover British officers, who were able to establish his identity after posing as paedophiles and engaging with him on the site.

After arresting him last September, officers continued running the website to snare other users.