Brothers are suspected of running a site with stolen nude photos
Quick Look
- French police, along with American police, have identified two brothers in their 20s who are suspected of running a website that sold intimate images stolen from 17,000 women, many of whom are underage.
- The men were arrested in northern France and crypto-assets worth close to eight million kroner were seized.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Police have identified two brothers suspected of running a platform that sold intimate images stolen from 17,000 women via hacked social media accounts and revenge porn.
French police, in cooperation with American police, have identified two brothers in their 20s who are suspected of being behind a website that published and sold intimate images stolen from 17,000 different women. The French prosecutor states that several of the victims are minors, reports Reuters.
Police arrested the men in northern France on Tuesday. They are suspected of being the main administrators of the platform that has sold the images. According to Reuters, the material originates from hacked social media accounts and revenge porn.
The victims are said to come from many different countries and a large proportion of those affected are reported to be Americans.
Users of the site were asked to identify the people in the material in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency. On the platform, the people in the material were sorted by age, place and profession, reports AFP.
The platform then offered users to buy different "packages" to gain access to the image material.
In connection with the arrest of the French brothers, the investigators searched the house. There, the police seized crypto-assets with a value of just under eight million kroner, prosecutors say according to Reuters.
French and American police have shut down the platform. Women who have been victimized are encouraged to contact French police. There are no reports that Swedes have been affected.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Further arrests will be made in connection with the investigation of the platform
Likely · Within weeks
The affected women will be offered support and guidance by French police
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- How many of the victims are confirmed minors?
- What specific cryptocurrencies were used in the transactions?
- Will there be further arrests in other countries?
- How will the affected women be able to receive compensation?
