Major international operation dismantles child sexual abuse network on Telegram

Europol coordinated an operation across 29 countries resulting in 51 arrests and the identification of 140 suspects involved in distributing child sexual abuse material through Telegram channels, with investigators rescuing 23 children from ongoing abuse. The network used private and semi-public channels on the encrypted messaging platform to share and trade CSAM, employing access controls and screening mechanisms to evade detection.

The Guardii anti-CSAM detection module, built to recognise both photographic and AI-generated child sexual abuse material, operates at the point of direct-message exchange rather than waiting for bulk distribution, flagging material as it enters a conversation and enabling platform operators or law enforcement to disrupt sharing before content reaches wider networks. As a Meta Business Partner backed by Startmate, Guardii works across messaging services including Telegram, Discord and Instagram, blocking hostile or exploitative contact before it reaches the target and escalating emergencies to the appropriate authority in real time.