In an effort to indentify and arrest pedophiles, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took over a child pornography service last year and ran it for two weeks.

FBI agents based in Nebraska raided the large child pornography service, which facilitated the sharing of thousands of images showing children being raped, displayed and abused.

Realizing the illicit operation had more than 5,000 customers, the bureau decided to continue operating the service so agents could determine their identities.

But keeping the service going meant the continued distribution of child pornography online during the two weeks that the FBI was in control.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reported that this is the first time the FBI went so far as to deal in child porn in order to apprehend suspected pedophiles.

The FBI shut down the site on December 2, at which time the site featured 10,000 pornographic photos of children and 24,000 message posts, nearly all relating to child pornography and molestation.

The investigation is said to be in its early stages, with criminal charges forthcoming.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

FBI Shared Child Porn to Nab Pedophiles; Washington Home Raided (by Levi Pulkkinen, Seattle Post Intelligencer)

FBI Accused of Hiring Underage Prostitutes to Trap Gun Traffickers (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)      

Is the FBI Encouraging Terrorist Plots In Order to Stop Them and Boost Their Success Rate? (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)