One of the largest paedophile networks in the world has been dismantled in a sweeping international operation coordinated by Europol. The dark web platform ‘Kidflix’, created exclusively for the purpose of sexually exploiting children, offered approximately 72,000 videos of abuse, including ‘unimaginably horrific acts against children, toddlers, and even babies’. Established in 2021, the site gained more than 1.8 million users over five years before its shutdown on March 11, 2025.
The investigation has led to the arrest of 79 individuals, with over 1,400 additional suspects identified who had used the platform. Many of those arrested were not only viewers and uploaders of the videos but were also involved in abusing children themselves. In one particularly disturbing case, a 36-year-old man was detained for offering his young son for abuse, while a serial abuser based in the US was also uncovered.
Led by German authorities, the operation, dubbed ‘Operation Stream’, has been hailed as one of the most significant blows against child pornography in recent years. Guido Limmer, deputy head of the Bavarian criminal police, described it as possibly "one of the biggest blows against child pornography ever." The operation involved 36 countries, including the UK.
The scale of the abuse facilitated by ‘Kidflix’ was staggering, with an average of 3.5 new videos being uploaded every hour. Unlike other child abuse sites, the platform allowed users to stream and download videos, creating a highly organized and profitable operation. Access was granted through the purchase of tokens using cryptocurrency or earned by completing tasks like categorizing or uploading abusive material.
Europol’s executive director, Catherine de Bolle, emphasized the real-world consequences of these crimes, stating, “There are real victims behind these crimes, and those victims are children.” As part of the operation, German authorities intervened on 96 occasions to protect children, including stopping ongoing abuse in 12 instances, safeguarding 39 children throughout the investigation.
The majority of the suspects were between the ages of 20 and 40, with the average age being 31. While most suspects had been active on the dark web for a long period, the youngest identified was born in 2006, and the oldest suspect was in their seventies.
