Operation Blue Orchid
Encyclopedia
Operation Blue Orchid was a joint United States
-Russia
n operate to dismantle an online child pornography
ring, centering around the website Blue Orchid. It began in May 2000, after an informant in a separate child pornography case came forward with information about the Blue Orchid site. The website, which showed depictions of rape
, also contained videos of Russian boys aged eight being abused. It sold them for around $300 each. The investigation included US Customs Officials buying one of the videos from the website. The operation lead to the arrest of four Americans and five Russians, including Vsevolod Solntsev-Elbe, creator and business manager of the Blue Orchid website. It was seen as a success – particularly for international cooperation – and lead Charles Winwood, acting commissioner in US Customs, to say "Operation Blue Orchid demonstrates that there really are no borders when it comes to our mutual interest in protecting children".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n operate to dismantle an online child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
ring, centering around the website Blue Orchid. It began in May 2000, after an informant in a separate child pornography case came forward with information about the Blue Orchid site. The website, which showed depictions of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, also contained videos of Russian boys aged eight being abused. It sold them for around $300 each. The investigation included US Customs Officials buying one of the videos from the website. The operation lead to the arrest of four Americans and five Russians, including Vsevolod Solntsev-Elbe, creator and business manager of the Blue Orchid website. It was seen as a success – particularly for international cooperation – and lead Charles Winwood, acting commissioner in US Customs, to say "Operation Blue Orchid demonstrates that there really are no borders when it comes to our mutual interest in protecting children".