Croatian man arrested in international operation for alleged child exploitation ring

A 29-year-old Croatian man has been arrested in an international police operation for allegedly running a global child exploitation ring, authorities confirmed on Friday.

Investigators say the suspect contacted at least 30 victims online and is also suspected of abusing a young girl over an extended period. Police allege he distributed child sexual abuse material to a network of roughly 250 people on encrypted online platforms, according to Interior Minister Davor Božinović.

“Here we have children that were sexually abused and blackmailed by the predator. They responded to his prompts while they were, say, sitting in their living rooms with their parents, who had no idea this was happening. That is how deep this went,” Božinović said. “This entire pedophile network operates in encrypted groups and upon instructions that are also shared in these spaces.”

The minister highlighted the challenges police face across Europe in tackling online child sexual abuse.

“These crimes are taking place on platforms that no one in Europe can access. Only these platforms have the ability to make the content available to the police, who could prosecute these criminals and put them where they belong,” Božinović added.

He stressed that protecting children is the priority, and that this cannot be achieved without access to critical data.