Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was supported by Europol and led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB). Over 35 countries worldwide participated in the operation. 

A total of 1.8 million users worldwide logged on to the platform between April 2022 and March 2025. On 11 March 2025, the server, which contained around 72 000 videos at the time, was seized by German and Dutch authorities.

The investigation resulted in the identification of almost 1 400 suspects worldwide. So far, 79 of these individuals have been arrested for sharing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Some of those arrested not only uploaded and watched videos but also abused children. The investigation is ongoing.

Results of Operation Stream

The investigation started in 2022 and resulted in action weeks from 10 to 23 March 2025. So far, it has led to the following outcomes:

• 1,393 suspects identified
• 79 suspects arrested
• Over 3,000 electronic devices seized
• 39 children protected

Over 91 000 CSAM videos

Kidflix was created in 2021 by a cybercriminal who made a huge profit from it, as it quickly became one of the most popular platforms among paedophiles. According to authorities, 91 000 unique videos were uploaded and shared on the platform while it was active, with a total running time of 6 288 hours. On average, around 3.5 new videos were uploaded to the platform every hour, many of which were previously unknown to law enforcement.

Unlike other known platforms of this kind, Kidflix not only enabled users to download CSAM but also to stream video files. Users made payments using cryptocurrencies, which were subsequently converted into tokens. By uploading CSAM, verifying video titles and descriptions and assigning categories to videos, offenders could earn tokens, which were then used to view content. Each video was uploaded in multiple versions – low, medium and high quality – allowing criminals to preview the content and pay a fee to unlock higher quality versions.

The largest child sexual exploitation operation in Europol’s history

Operation Stream has been the largest operation ever handled by Europol’s experts in fighting child sexual exploitation, and one of the biggest cases supported by the law enforcement agency in recent years.

During the investigation, Europol’s analysts from the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) provided intensive operational support to national authorities by analysing thousands of videos. Europol’s experts also cross-checked all available data and provided evidence to the relevant countries to facilitate the investigation. 

Given the scale of the case, Europol’s role in coordinating the exchange of information during the investigation and the action days was crucial to its success. Bringing partners together for cross-border cooperation and joint action is one of Europol’s main priorities in order to strengthen the fight against all forms of serious international and organised crime, cybercrime and terrorism.

Catherine De Bolle

Europol Executive Director

The digital dimension has driven a rapid evolution in online child sexual exploitation, offering offenders a borderless platform to contact and groom victims, as well as to create, store, and exchange child sexual abuse material. Some attempt to frame this as merely a technical or cyber issue – but it is not. There are real victims behind these crimes, and those victims are children. As a society, we must act to protect our children.

Magnus Brunner

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration

The dismantling of this criminal network demonstrates the added value that EU agencies like Europol provide. This is precisely why the European Commission has presented a strategy for greater security in Europe. Criminals operate across borders, so we must also support investigators in doing the same.

What happens online, stays online

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is one of the key threats to the EU’s internal security identified in the recently published EU Serious Organised Crime Threat Assessment report (EU-SOCTA). The digital dimension has triggered a rapid evolution of online CSE, providing offenders with a borderless platform to contact and groom victims, as well as to create, store and exchange CSAM. This trend will continue to grow in the coming years. 

However, the online world is not anonymous. Most of the suspects identified in Operation Stream were matched against records in Europol’s databases, proving that most offenders engaged in child sexual exploitation are repeat offenders and are not unknown to law enforcement authorities.

Child sexual exploitation is a major threat and therefore one of the EU’s priorities in the fight against serious and organised crime. Since 2017, Europol has been running the Stop Child Abuse – Trace An Object initiative, encouraging citizens to identify objects to help police save abused children. 

At the request of EU Member States and other partners, Europol hosts a Victim Identification Taskforce twice a year, an initiative that brings together law enforcement to localise investigations and identify victims. Children in Germany and Australia have benefited from this project, which has provided them with protection.