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Four Arrested in Sydney Over Alleged International 'Satanic' Child Abuse Material Ring

02:51 PM, 12/01/2025
Four Arrested in Sydney Over Alleged International 'Satanic' Child Abuse Material Ring

Australian police arrested four men in Sydney alleged to be part of an international network sharing child sexual abuse material with ritualistic, satanic themes. Investigators recovered "thousands of videos," some showing children aged from infants to about 12 and others depicting bestiality. The operation, Strike Force Constantine, executed six search warrants; a 26-year-old alleged ringleader and three men aged 46, 42 and 39 were refused bail and will appear in court in January. Authorities are still sifting files to identify victims and other suspects.

Australian authorities have arrested four men in Sydney accused of participating in an alleged international network that shared child sexual abuse material with ritualistic or satanic themes. Police say investigators are still working to identify the victims depicted in the material.

What police say: Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, commander of the New South Wales sex crimes squad, said investigators recovered "thousands of videos" from electronic devices seized during a series of coordinated raids. The material allegedly included sexual abuse of children — ranging from infants to about 12 years old — and videos showing the sexual abuse of animals.

"Police will allege in court that this international group were engaging in conversations and the sharing of material which depicted child abuse and the torture of children involving symbols and rituals linked to Satanism and the occult. It had a very ritualistic overview," Doherty said.

The arrests followed a probe run under Strike Force Constantine, an operation established in April by the NSW sex crimes squad to investigate online distribution of child sexual abuse material with ritualistic or satanic themes. Police say they were alerted to a ring of men in Sydney in November who were allegedly part of a larger international syndicate.

Officers executed six search warrants across Sydney during coordinated raids last week. Video released by police showed the arrest of a 26-year-old in the inner-city suburb of Waterloo; authorities allege he played a leading role in the group. Three other men, aged 46, 42 and 39, were arrested in the coastal suburb of Malabar.

Charges and next steps: The 26-year-old faces multiple charges, including making available and possessing child abuse material, and charges related to disseminating and possessing bestiality material. The other three men face charges related to possession or distribution of child abuse material. All four were refused bail and are due to appear in court in January.

Investigators are continuing to examine thousands of files and to trace material shared on encrypted international platforms as they seek to identify victims and other alleged members of the network.

Note: Police have said they have not yet identified any of the children shown in the material, but believe the images are of real children. The investigation remains ongoing.

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Four Arrested in Sydney Over Alleged International 'Satanic' Child Abuse Material Ring - CRBC News