The internet is a powerful force in our world, quickly bringing goods, services, and information that people need.
But the shadow side of the internet is also one that Our Rescue is keen to highlight. This lightning-fast communication tool can and does cause real harm to real people, most of them vulnerable women who are hoping to improve their circumstances in life, and innocent children.
Taking Down a Bangkok CSAM Network
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Child Sexual Exploitation Crime Division, Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime, in collaboration with Scientia, investigated a secret Telegram group involved in the sharing and sale of CSAM to customers seeking exploitative material. The group charged membership fees ranging from THB 100–399 (approximately USD 3–11) for access to the content.
The investigation spanned months, eventually identifying the network owner, a 32-year-old male residing in Bangkok. Three female survivors reported in interviews with law enforcement that the suspect was not the original producer of the videos but had redistributed videos recorded when the women were minors.
DSI requested operational support from Our Rescue and an ESD K9 for the planned arrest and search operation. On 2 June 2026, Our Rescue, alongside DSI in Bangkok, supported a successful arrest of the 32-year-old man for the possession and distribution of CSAM for commercial gain. DSI officers recovered six items of evidence at the scene, including five mobile phones and one notebook containing a list of individuals in a LINE group involved in the exchange, sale, and dissemination of CSAM.
During his police interview, the suspect implicated the owner and administrators of numerous CSAM groups accessed via LINE and Telegram applications. He alleged that they recruited individuals to act as group administrators, bringing paying clients into the secret groups, and hiring them to provide SIM cards and open numerous phone numbers to register Telegram accounts and create secret groups for disseminating CSAM. A significant volume of monetary transactions were discovered, indicating that the group had been active for a considerable length of time and benefitted financially from their illicit enterprise.
Criminals, Hiding in Plain Sight
Transactions. A clinical word that represents unspeakable crimes.
Analysis indicates that these purchases had been made by persons in authority who enjoyed trusted positions. Every new lead they uncover matters in the fight to bring justice for survivors and disrupt the networks that distribute these criminal images and profit from them.
On 18 June 2026, Our Rescue again supported the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Child Sexual Exploitation Crime Division, Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime in the follow-up arrest operation targeting a second suspect in Southern Thailand. During the operation, investigators recovered further evidence implicating this suspect. A preliminary forensic examination identified more than 200 private LINE groups administered by the suspect.
Sadly, the suspect had generated more than THB 3 million (USD 92,000 in profits from the sale of this criminal content. Each instance of CSAM distribution causes further harm and exploitation to survivors while generating illegal profits for offenders. In this case, the shadow groups yielded 50 groups confirmed to distribute and commercially sell adult materials and CSAM.
These profits are made from the suffering of vulnerable people and children. The people creating demand for such horrifying images can be anyone, and as this investigation demonstrates, from all levels of society.
A comprehensive forensic examination of the seized devices is currently ongoing to determine the full extent of the suspects’ criminal activities, identify additional survivors and offenders, and support further investigative actions.
Why Your Support Matters
The creation of CSAM can have long and lasting impacts on survivors. With your generous support, Our Rescue can continue the fight against these evil networks, shutting down their activities and profits to bring justice to the survivors who must rebuild their lives. Your donation enables us to keep fighting for a world free of sexual exploitation and abuse of people across the globe. Donate Today.
