Minors held in Spanish porn swoop

All the images were being traded over the internet

Twenty-one minors are among 90 people arrested by Spanish police on suspicion of being involved in child pornography.

Thousands of photos and DVDs of child pornography were found in raids on 87 houses across the country, police said.

It is thought to be the biggest swoop of its kind undertaken by Spanish police, Spanish news agency Efe said.

Police said those arrested included schoolteachers, students, IT workers, civil servants and soldiers as well as 21 minors suspected of trafficking.

"This shows that the problem is affecting all sectors of society, without a clear trend as to the typical profile (of child porn offenders)," a police statement said, as quoted by Reuters news agency.

The raids were carried out in 26 provinces, including the Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Castellon, Murcia, Pontevedra, Vizcaya and Madrid.

Police said they targeted people trading pornographic images and videos on the internet.

The material depicted pre-pubescent children taking part in "all types of sexual acts, including with adults", they said.

A spokesman Jose Maria Seara described the operation as "striking" because so many minors were among the suspects.