FBI busts internet child porn ring

The authorities in the United States say they have broken up an international child pornography ring which operated over the internet and had more than seven thousand users.

The FBI said that after a year-long undercover investigation, they shut down a website and arrested at least 40 people - among them at least two Roman Catholic priests.

The announcement coincides with a growing scandal over allegations that several Catholic priests have sexually molested children.

The scandal was triggered by the conviction of a former priest in Boston for indecently assaulting a 10-year-old boy.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service