In a sweeping international operation coordinated by Europol, one of the world’s largest pedophile networks has been dismantled.
The dark web platform known as ‘Kidflix’ was specifically designed for the sexual exploitation of children, boasting around 72,000 videos that depicted “unimaginably horrific acts against children, toddlers, and even babies.”
Established in 2021, the site attracted over 1.8 million users during its five years of operation before being shut down on March 11, 2025.
The investigation has led to the arrest of 79 individuals, with more than 1,400 additional suspects identified who had utilized the platform. Many of those arrested were not only viewers or uploaders of the content but were also involved in the abuse of children. In one particularly alarming case, a 36-year-old man was apprehended for offering his young son for abuse, alongside the discovery of a serial abuser operating in the U.S.
The operation, dubbed ‘Operation Stream’ and led by German authorities, is considered one of the most significant blows against child pornography in recent years.
Guido Limmer, the deputy head of the Bavarian criminal police, stated it could be “one of the biggest blows against child pornography ever.” The effort included collaboration from 36 countries, including the UK.
The scale of abuse facilitated by ‘Kidflix’ was staggering, with an average of 3.5 new videos uploaded every hour. Unlike other child abuse sites, the platform allowed users to stream and download videos, establishing a highly organized and lucrative operation.
Access was granted through the purchase of tokens using cryptocurrency or by completing tasks such as categorizing or uploading abusive material.
Europol’s executive director, Catherine de Bolle, underscored the real-world impact of these crimes, noting, “There are real victims behind these crimes, and those victims are children.”
As part of the operation, German authorities intervened on 96 occasions to protect children, successfully preventing ongoing abuse in 12 cases and safeguarding 39 children throughout the investigation.
The majority of the suspects were between the ages of 20 and 40, with an average age of 31. While many had been active on the dark web for an extended period, the youngest individual identified was born in 2006, and the oldest suspect was in their seventies.
