Spanish police say 33 people have been arrested globally in connection with a WhatsApp group for images of child sex abuse and other violent content.
The “extreme” images shared in the group had been normalised by most of its members.
Arrests were made in 11 different countries across three continents, but the majority were in Spain. Many of those arrested or being investigated in Spain are themselves under 18, including a 15-year-old boy.
In Uruguay, police arrested two people one of whom was a mother who abused her daughter and sent images of the act to the group.
In another case, a 29-year-old man was arrested for not only downloading the images, but also encouraging other group members to make contact with young girls, particularly migrants who would be unlikely to go to the police.
