The Police Directorate issued a Press Release regarding the results of the global online police operation to combat the phenomenon of child pornography, codenamed "HYDRA".
The Press Release for Operation HYDRA was presented by the Hellenic Police Spokesperson and the Head of the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate,
Good morning.
A large, global cyber police operation, codenamed "HYDRA", was recently completed by the Hellenic Police's Cyber Crime Division, with very significant results.
The operation was long-term, lasting over seven months and aimed to combat the phenomenon of possession and trafficking of child pornography material via the internet.
During the operation, we identified a total of seventy-seven (78) users - perpetrators, whose electronic traces emerge in thirty-two (32) different countries around the world.
More specifically, in addition to our country, we identified traces of pedophiles in Germany, Russia, the USA, Great Britain, France, Poland, Sweden, China, the Czech Republic, Iran, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Colombia and Georgia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, Portugal, Mexico, the Bahamas, Austria, Slovenia and Belgium.
For the online investigation, we activated the special TLO program (software for scanning electronic traces of trafficking in pornographic material), available to the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate, to identify traces of internet users who traffic child pornography.
As for our country, we formed three (3) separate criminal cases and arrested three (3) individuals in Ioannina and Attica, two of whom are Greek citizens aged 34 and 25 and a 47-year-old foreign national of Bulgaria. Criminal prosecution was brought against them for pornography of minors via the internet.
Specifically, on 21-11-2013, after an online investigation, we identified the criminal activity of a 34-year-old Greek national who was distributing hard-core child pornography, through a special PEER TO PEER (P2P) file sharing program, on the internet.
After appropriate utilization of the online findings and traces of the 34-year-old arrested person and in cooperation with the competent Prosecution Authorities, we carried out a targeted online intrusive investigation into the specific file sharing program from 28-11-2013 to 22-01-2014, with the ultimate goal of finding and identifying other users who possessed and had child pornography material suitable for sharing.
Furthermore, on 28-04-2014, we arrested a 47-year-old pediatrician, a Bulgarian citizen, in Ioannina. In a search carried out at his home, in the presence of a Public Prosecutor, we found numerous files of "hard" child pornography stored on various digital storage devices (see the relevant Press Release of the Hellenic Police Headquarters dated 29-04-2014).
By a relevant Order of the Ioannina First Instance Prosecutor's Office, the details of the 47-year-old pediatrician were made public, as well as the criminal prosecution brought against him (see the relevant Press Release of the Hellenic Police Headquarters dated 03-05-2014).
As we have already announced, this is (s.) ZAHARIEV (s.) ZVETLOZAR of Gueorguiev and Jorgania, who was born on 10.10.1967 in Bulgaria.
Criminal proceedings were brought against him for the supply and possession of child pornography material, using the internet, the production of which is linked to the use of a minor under the age of 15, by a perpetrator acting habitually.
The pediatrician played a central role in a closed group of users of this particular file-sharing program, whose members used special tricks, electronic identity concealment and encryption programs, to cover up their illegal activities on the internet.
Subsequently, on 25-04-2014, we arrested in Attica, the 25-year-old, on whose laptop we found files (videos and photos) with pornographic material of minors stored (see the relevant Press Release of the Hellenic Police Headquarters dated 09-05-2014).
The trafficked files that we identified and confiscated were sent to the Crime Labs for further examination, while many of them were found to be first-time material of "hardcore" child pornography.
The total data obtained during the operation for the aforementioned countries has already been sent to INTERPOL and EUROPOL in order to identify the remaining users of the program, the exact number of files they possess and to identify potential victims of child pornography.
Those arrested with the criminal cases filed against them were taken to the competent Prosecution Authorities.
It is noted that this is the first time that the Cybercrime Directorate plans, organizes, coordinates and implements such a large-scale police operation on the world wide web.
The message and echo of the operation is that the prefecture's enforcement authorities are vigilant. No pedophile remains unharmed. Their criminal activity is revealed and they are held accountable to Justice.
The Head of the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate, Brigadier General Emmanouil Sfakianakis, will provide you with answers to questions regarding the timeline of the police operation, the mode of action of the program users and the special characteristics of the operation.
