Raid in Halle: 24 men targeted by police for child abuse!

Raid in Halle: 24 men targeted by police for child abuse!

In Halle and the Saale district, the police carried out a large-scale operation in the fight against child pornography on November 6, 2025. Several buildings were searched and a total of 24 men between the ages of 16 and 74 were targeted who were suspected of possessing or distributing depictions of child abuse. The investigations against these people have been ongoing for some time and the penalties for such offenses can range from six months to ten years in prison MDR reported.

During the searches, numerous data carriers and other evidence were seized. This includes, among other things, weapons and explosive devices. Registered violations of the Weapons Act (3), the Explosives Act (2) and the Residence Act (5) were recorded. Fortunately, no one was arrested; the suspects were temporarily taken to the station and then released.

Child protection in focus

In seven of the cases searched, a child endangerment was found, which prompted the responsible authorities to inform the youth welfare office. The youth welfare office may soon have to take action to protect the children or young people affected. It is noteworthy that such searches are not uncommon in Halle, as they are regularly carried out based on suspicion of depictions of abuse. In the past there have been headlines about the arrest of the founder of the Beatles Museum in Halle, who is suspected of sexually abusing minors.

The latest operation in Halle is part of an internationally coordinated crackdown on child pornography. So reported Daily Mirror that investigators from 38 countries have shut down a darknet platform called “Kidflix”. This platform allowed around 1.8 million users to access incriminating content and made it difficult to identify the suspects through anonymous cryptocurrency payment methods.

International “action weeks” took place between March 10 and 23, 2025, during which numerous homes in 31 countries were searched. Thousands of electronic devices and storage media were confiscated during these operations. In Germany alone, 96 apartments were searched, with investigations underway against 103 suspects. Outside of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein, no federal state was left untouched. Through a brutal approach, two children from Germany were even identified who were pictured on secure data material, while 39 children internationally were brought to safety.

These increased police activities show that the issue of child pornography is a serious problem not only in Germany but worldwide. The investigations into the closure of platforms like “Kidflix”, which reached frightening proportions with a mass of over 91,000 videos, are a sign that decisive action is being taken in the fight against cybercrime.

It remains to be hoped that such measures will help to better protect children and young people and hold perpetrators accountable. This is the only way the child’s well-being can be effectively guaranteed. In times of increasing digitalization, increased vigilance is required, not only by the investigative authorities, but also by society as a whole.