Police arrest hundreds of people over global child porn ring Hundreds of people have been detained around the world over their links to a global child porn network. The three-year Canadian-led investigation was sparked by the discovery of a Toronto film company that allegedly distributed thousands of images and videos of child abuse as "naturist" material. U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector Gerald O'Farrell said more than 9,000 videos and images of child sexual abuse were found. The child victims identified in this operation numbered over 300. These 300 children have had their lives altered forever. The images of them become a permanent record of the sexual abuse of a child. The victims were all pre-pubescent, with some as young as five," he said. Once child pornography images are posted on the internet, they can continue to circulate forever. The child is re-victimsed as the images are viewed again and again," added O'Farrell. Brian Way, the owner of the Toronto-based firm, Azovfilms, is among those being held. The company's site has now been shut down. Other arrests were made in thirty countries including the United States, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Norway, South Africa and Australia. Canadian authorities say they expect there will be further arrests and hundreds more children saved as result of the investigation. Also read