Europol has supported authorities from 19 countries in a large-scale hit against child sexual exploitation that has led to 25 arrests worldwide. The suspects were part of a criminal group whose members were engaged in the distribution of images of minors fully generated by artificial intelligence (AI). 

Most of the arrests were carried out simultaneously on 26 February 2025 during a global operation (Operation Cumberland) led by Danish law enforcement. More arrests are expected in the coming weeks, as the operation is still ongoing. 

Results of the operation, so far:

• 273 suspects identified
• 25 suspects arrested
• 33 house searches
• 173 seized

The main suspect, a Danish national who was arrested in November 2024, ran an online platform where he distributed the AI-generated material he produced. Following a symbolic online payment, users from around the world were able to obtain a password to access the platform and watch children being abused.

During the course of the investigation, Europol and the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), hosted by Europol, provided operational coordination to the law enforcement agencies involved in the case. Experts from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre also facilitated information exchanges and provided intelligence and operational analysis to national investigators.

Operation Cumberland has been one of the first cases involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), making it exceptionally challenging for investigators, especially due to the lack of national legislation addressing these crimes. In this regard, EU Member States are currently discussing a common regulation proposed by the European Commission to tackle this new situation and protect children from being sexually abused and exploited.

AI-generated CSAM: a serious crime

Online child sexual exploitation remains one of the most threatening manifestations of cybercrime in the European Union and continues to be one of the top priorities for law enforcement agencies, which are dealing with an ever-growing volume of illegal content. 

Self-generated child sexual material constitutes a significant share of the CSAM that is detected. AI models able to generate or alter images are being abused by offenders to produce CSAM and for sexual extorsion. Such models are widely available and have developed quickly, with output that now increasingly resembles genuine material, making it harder to identify as artificially generated. 

This poses significant challenges to authorities in identifying the real victims. Even in cases when the content is fully artificial and there is no real victim depicted, such as Operation Cumberland, AI-generated CSAM still contributes to the objectification and sexualisation of children. 

Europol’s fight against child sexual exploitation

The fight against child sexual exploitation is a priority for Europol. Since 2017, the Agency has led the Stop Child Abuse – Trace An Object initiative, which enables citizens to provide information by recognising objects to help solve a child sexual abuse case. To date, the general public has shared almost 28 000 tips, 30 children have been removed from harm and 6 offenders have been identified and prosecuted.  

At the request of EU Member States and other partners, Europol also hosts a Victim Identification Taskforce, a further initiative that allows law enforcement to work together to localise investigations and identify victims. Children in Germany and Australia have already been made safe as a result of this initiative. 

Next step: preventing future crimes 

Operation Cumberland not only focuses on stopping perpetrators, but also takes proactive steps to prevent further incidents. Europol and its partners will launch an online campaign in the coming days highlighting the consequences of using AI for illegal purposes and targeting potential offenders where they are most active: online. The campaign will use online messages to reach buyers of illegal content, as well as other methods such as knock-and-talks, social media messages and warning letters. 

Operation Cumberland demonstrates an ongoing coordinated effort by law enforcement to tackle this threat comprehensively, from arresting criminals to preventing future crimes through education, deterrence and providing support to those who want to seek support or help.