by Ari Hoffman at The Post Millennial
An FBI official said that the sites collectively attracted over 120,000 users and had at least 100,000 visits in a single day.
The Justice Department has announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a sweeping joint investigation with the FBI that dismantled four dark web sites dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The operation has so far resulted in 18 convictions across multiple federal districts and significant sentences for offenders involved in the distribution and advertisement of CSAM.
One of the most notable sentences came last week, when Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, was sentenced to 250 months in prison, lifetime supervised release, and ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution. Katsampes pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to advertise and distribute child pornography. According to court records, he joined one of the dark web sites in 2022, actively advertised and distributed CSAM, including material depicting prepubescent children, and eventually became a site moderator responsible for enforcing posting rules and advising others on sharing illegal content.
“These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the DOJ’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we have exposed these perpetrators, eliminated their websites, and brought justice to countless victims.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called Operation Grayskull “one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” emphasizing that anonymity on the dark web will not protect predators from law enforcement. “You cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children,” Patel said.
Investigators described the dismantled websites as some of the most…