Computers checked for child porn

Thirty-three people were arrested

Police are examining computer equipment seized during a series of dawn raids at the homes of suspected internet paedophiles.

A 13-year-old boy was among the 33 people arrested on Tuesday as a result of police swoops at addresses in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

We will continue to track down those individuals who believe the internet gives them the anonymity to continue their trade in obscene pictures

Inspector Terry Jones

Others detained by police included a man working with a national youth organisation, a psychiatric nurse and an IT consultant.

The operation, codenamed Appal, was the culmination of a four-month-long investigation led by Greater Manchester Police's obscene publications unit.

Inspector Terry Jones, head of the unit said: "Work by the obscene publications unit identifies those people abusing one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.

"We will continue to track down those individuals who believe the internet gives them the anonymity to continue their trade in obscene pictures."

Obscene images

The operation saw officers from the force's six-strong squad access internet chatrooms and channels frequented by those trading in child porn.

Their techniques were "enhanced and improved" with specific software written by computer firm SurfControl, which helped officers locate individuals accessing obscene images.

Intelligence led to 43 warrants, issued under the Protection of Children Act, being executed simultaneously throughout England, Scotland and Wales by officers from 25 forces.

It also resulted in a raid in the Dublin area, where detectives from the domestic violence and sexual assault unit searched a house for breaches of the Irish Republic's Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.

Operation Appal is the largest operation of its kind ever undertaken in this country and is also thought to have uncovered two cases of suspected child abuse.

Operation Cathedral, the largest international initiative to be co-ordinated by the National Crime Squad in London, led to a number of convictions in February.

Seven British men who traded child pornographic images - some of babies as young as three months old - were jailed for between 12 and 30 months each.