Police in West crack Philippine-based child sex abuse streaming ring

Child abuse investigators in Britain, the United States and Australia have dismantled an organised crime group that live-streamed child sexual abuse to order from the Philippines.

Britain's National Crime Agency said yesterday that an international investigation broke up the ring, resulting in 29 arrests of people in 12 countries who had paid to watch the abuse.

Police describe the use of webcams to stream live child abuse - especially from developing countries - as a "significant and emerging threat".

"Being thousands of miles away makes no difference to their guilt. In my mind they are just as responsible for the abuse of these children as the contact abusers overseas," said Andy Baker, the deputy director of the agency's command for child protection.

The investigation began after a routine visit to Timothy Ford, a registered sex offender in Britain. Police found a number of indecent videos on his computer and contacted child abuse investigators, touching off a global investigation in 2012.

UK authorities worked with the Australian Federal Police and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as well as the International Justice Mission, a non-governmental group.