Police officers deal with those at all levels of society. Some of the people I have dealt with have tested my tolerance to the maximum. I have always been determined that I will not become one of those cops that think the uniform gives them the right to punish those suspected of an offence before guilt has been proved. Even after the verdict, it is not up to us to take matters into our own hands, regardless of how little we might think of those we encounter in the cells. The Police investigate and the Courts “punish” the guilty (I am going to avoid digressing into the sentencing conversation at this point as there are more important issues to discuss).
I have dealt with rapists, murderers and paedophiles on many occasions and, despite my own personal prejudices, I have been polite and treated them with professional respect. I was recently asked which of these I would consider to be the worst category of offender but found this to be an impossible question to answer. What I am able to say though is that anything that can be done to expose their crimes and bring them to justice is to be applauded and given every chance of assisting in the prosecution of these worthless, moral-less wastes of oxygen.
Perversely it is a group of individuals normally in the cross-hairs of the justice system that have potentially saved the lives of children who are, or might soon become, victims of a massive paedophile ring.
Not many of you will have heard of the site called Hidden Wiki. It is not a site that will shown in a search engine or that can be accessed without special software designed for that purpose. It is a portal to the underworld of the web and exists within a largely unknown realm called the “deep web” which is a vast vault of information that is more than 500 times larger than that available to the uninitiated browser of the public, or “surface” web. It is the place where criminals develop and discuss their plans. A haven for anyone with a need for anonymity, from Police and Government Agencies to terrorists, drug dealers, paedophiles and cyber-criminals.
The attraction of the site is the anonymity that is available to users of the software used to access it. Once configured, a users connection to the site is only completed after it is bounced around a global network of computers which has the effect of hiding the identity and geographical origin of the user. This has legitimate uses for those attempting to get information out of countries where such activity would risk the life of the author, but also has a darker side.
One of the users of the Hidden Wiki is a company who hosts a website call Lolita City. This site advertises on Hidden Wiki and hosts a massive archive of child pornography which is available to paedophiles who subscribe to it.
Following attempts to get the site removed voluntarily a group of hackers working under the group name of “Anonymous” have gained access to the Lolita City servers and subsequently revealed the login details of more than 1,500 users. A statement attributed to Anonymous confirms
We are eliminating 40+ child pornography websites, among these is Lolita City, one of the largest child pornography websites to date containing more than 100GB of child pornography…
…It does not matter who you are, if we find you to be hosting, promoting, or supporting child pornography, you will become a target
Sceptics are accusing the unauthorised vigilante group of risking the safety of others by potentially stepping on the toes of formal investigations. I am not sure that this sentiment is entirely accurate. I have a suspicion that this sort of action has the potential for putting sites such as Lolita City out of action far quicker than a formal investigation. Those involved in its exposure have skills that are as good, if not better, than those in government organisations. I suspect that the speed of the informal action and the subsequent release of login details might have more of an impact than a sanctioned action with all the red tape and bureaucracy that would surround it.
If one child is saved from exploitation because of the action of “Anonymous” then I believe that can only be a good thing. Their actions are undoubtedly unlawful and I welcome your views on whether the legality of this action should be overlooked in the light of the result achieved. Can a criminal act become acceptable if committed for such a purpose?