2004 Ukrainian child pornography raids
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Ukrainian child pornography raids occurred in July 2004, when police in Ukraine
raided a softcore child pornography
ring operating in the cities of Kiev
, Kharkiv
and Simferopol
. The ring had operated since 2001, and used a modeling
agency as a front
. Approximately 1,500 girls aged from eight to sixteen were said to have been to the agency. Erotic materials produced by the agency were distributed over the Internet to various countries.
The alleged agency, known as Ukrainian Angels Studio, streamed on the web was called LS Models and had a number of different domains such as LS Island, LS Magazine, Lolitas on Holiday, LS Dreams and a series of sites under the LS Land moniker.
The Crime Investigation Department of the Ministry for the Interior conducted the raids. The deputy head of the department, Vitaly Yarema, said that the bank accounts of the agency, containing hundreds of thousands of dollars, had been frozen.
Ukrainian Angels Studios actually began work much earlier, around 1999 or 2000. They split in 2001 into two separate outlets, LS and BD. BD had its own series of photos and videos which lasted until 2004. Many of the models went to other studios, none lasting more than a year. The last known groups were Karina World and Pink-Teens. Both closed in 2007. They featured former LS Models, now of legal age (over 18).
The raids were conducted after a joint investigation between Ukrainian police and Interpol. In 2005, the United States Department of State
announced that there was further cooperation between Ukrainian police and other law enforcement agencies internationally.
The investigation following the raids was completed by 6 April 2005.
Two leaders of the agency were taken into custody but have since been released.
Most of the parents of the girls refused to press charges
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
raided a softcore child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
ring operating in the cities of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
and Simferopol
Simferopol
-Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the...
. The ring had operated since 2001, and used a modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
agency as a front
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
. Approximately 1,500 girls aged from eight to sixteen were said to have been to the agency. Erotic materials produced by the agency were distributed over the Internet to various countries.
The alleged agency, known as Ukrainian Angels Studio, streamed on the web was called LS Models and had a number of different domains such as LS Island, LS Magazine, Lolitas on Holiday, LS Dreams and a series of sites under the LS Land moniker.
The Crime Investigation Department of the Ministry for the Interior conducted the raids. The deputy head of the department, Vitaly Yarema, said that the bank accounts of the agency, containing hundreds of thousands of dollars, had been frozen.
Ukrainian Angels Studios actually began work much earlier, around 1999 or 2000. They split in 2001 into two separate outlets, LS and BD. BD had its own series of photos and videos which lasted until 2004. Many of the models went to other studios, none lasting more than a year. The last known groups were Karina World and Pink-Teens. Both closed in 2007. They featured former LS Models, now of legal age (over 18).
The raids were conducted after a joint investigation between Ukrainian police and Interpol. In 2005, the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
announced that there was further cooperation between Ukrainian police and other law enforcement agencies internationally.
The investigation following the raids was completed by 6 April 2005.
Two leaders of the agency were taken into custody but have since been released.
Most of the parents of the girls refused to press charges