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Dutch National Charged in Takedown of Obscene Website Selling Child Pornography Videos, Funded by Cryptocurrency
A Dutch National, Michael R. M. a/k/a Mr. Dark, 32, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for his operation of Dark Scandals, a site on both the Darknet and Clearnet that featured violent rape videos and depictions of child pornography.
The nine-count indictment was unsealed today along with a parallel civil forfeiture action. The defendant was charged with various counts of Distribution of Child Pornography, Production and Transportation of Obscene Matters for Sale or Distribution, Engaging in the Business of Selling or Transferring Obscene Matter, and Laundering of Monetary Instruments.
“Darknet sites that profit from rape and the sexual exploitation of children are among the most vile and reprehensible forms of criminal behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea. “This Office will not allow predators to use lawless online spaces as a shield. We are firmly committed to working closely with our partners in the Netherlands and around the world to bring to justice the perpetrators of these abhorrent crimes.”
The pleadings allege that the defendant, who resides in the Netherlands, operated the Dark Scandals sites that hosted and distributed videos and images featuring nonconsensual and violent sexual abuse. Dark Scandals boasted over 2,000 videos and images and advertised that it offered “real blackmail, rape and forced videos of girls all around the world.”
The site offered users two ways to access this illicit and obscene content, which was delivered in “packs” by the defendant via email to customers to download. Users could either pay for the video packs using cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, or upload new videos to add to the content of the Dark Scandals sites.
A forfeiture complaint was also unsealed today. The complaint alleges that law enforcement was able to trace payments of bitcoin and ethereum to the Dark Scandals site by following the flow of funds on the blockchain. The 303 virtual currency accounts identified in the complaint were allegedly used by customers across the world to fund the website and promote the exploitation of children and other vulnerable victims.
The charges in the pleadings are merely allegations, an individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the most serious offenses.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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