More arrests in Aust child porn crackdown

Police have made further arrests around Australia, as part of a nationwide crackdown on child pornography.

Among the arrests this week a 22-year-old man was arrested in Alice Springs in what a Northern Territory Police statement described as "a result of the on-going operation into child pornography".

"The man was arrested on Tuesday after he was found with 55 hard copy images of child pornography," it stated. "A laptop computer and a hard drive were also seized. He has been charged with offences in relation to possession of child pornography."

The Western Australian (WA) Police Service this week also announced an arrest by detectives in its child abuse investigation unit who were working on Operation Auxin.

The moves follow announcements that the Australian-wide investigation into internet child pornography could lead to hundreds of prosecutions, with more than 400 search warrants executed last week.

Codenamed Operation Auxin, the investigation was coordinated by the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC) and has been ongoing since last March. The Australian Federal Police (AFP), state and territory police are involved in the investigation.

According to a statement issued last week, offences have included downloading, possessing or distributing child pornographic images. Police are expecting to summon hundreds more people to court to be charged with similar offences.