Australian authorities have removed 51 kids from harm as a global operation targeting the making and distribution of child abuse material comes to a close.
More than 100 people are facing in excess of 1000 child abuse charges as part of Operation Molto, co-ordinated nationally by the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
The alleged offenders range in age from 18 to 61 and arrests were made in every state and territory of Australia.
Police executed 158 search warrants across the country, charging 117 men with 1248 offences.
A total of 23 children were removed from harm in Queensland, 10 in South Australia, eight in Victoria, five in the ACT, three in NSW and two in Tasmania.
Occupations of those charged include law enforcement, construction, transport and hospitality.
Investigations began in 2019 when the centre received New Zealand intelligence indicating thousands of offenders were using a cloud storage platform to share abuse material online.
The operation has led to more than 150 children being removed from harm globally, including 79 in the UK, 12 in Canada and six in New Zealand.
"The work of police across Australia in rescuing these children shows that victims remain front of mind for law enforcement,'' AFP Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale said.
"Viewing, distributing or producing child abuse material is a horrific crime.
"Children are not commodities and the AFP and its partner agencies work around the clock to identify and prosecute offenders."
Parents can help keep children safe by having proactive conversations about online safety, Victoria Police Cybercrime Detective Superintendent Jane Welsh said.
"Children can be groomed in a matter of minutes," she said.
"It's so important that everyone understands the warning signs of unwanted contact, how to protect your or your family's privacy online, and how to report any suspicious activity."