MINSK, 18 October (BelTA) – The Main Investigative Department of the Central Office of the Investigative Committee of Belarus continues to investigate a criminal case against members of an international criminal group who were engaged in the production of pornographic materials using underage girls, and the subsequent sale of this content around the world, BelTA learned from the Investigative Committee.
A 38-year-old citizen of Ukraine is accused of producing child pornography together with mothers of minors in Belarus. “The man sold the content on DarkNet, while using official internet sites for advertising. Six members of an international criminal group engaged in the sexual exploitation of children were detained in February and April 2021. The Investigative Committee together with the Main Directorate for Combating Drugs and Human Trafficking at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus identified another woman, a 37-year-old resident of Minsk, who sold naked pictures of her 10-year-old daughter,” the Investigative Committee informed.
During the interrogation, the suspect said that she was contacted by someone on the Instagram social network and was offered to sell erotic pictures of her daughter. She said she did not see anything criminal in this and organized, together with the photographer, two photo shoots of her daughter without underwear, receiving a money transfer in the amount of $100 for each of them. The woman has many children, holds a permanent job and has no prior record, the Investigative Committee informed.
The woman's actions have been qualified under Part 1 of Article 169 (sexual abuse) and Part 3 of Article 343-1 (production of child pornography) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. She has been taken into custody. The children have been left with their father.
"So far, nine girls aged between 5 and 13 from Belarus have been identified as victims. The law enforcement continues working on the case. Currently, they are checking the information related to other persons who may have earned money by selling their children for the production of child pornography. The investigation continues," the Investigative Committee informed.
