authorities are trying to use the videos, many of which they haven't seen before, to find more child victims. The Department of Justice say the child porn website 'is among the first of its kind to monetize child exploitation videos using bitcoin' - it's more typical for sites to simply provide a way for users to trade these horrifying images with one another.ĭata seized from the server is still being analyzed. 'We want to enable an entire economy powered by cryptocurrency, but sites like WTV destroy the public's faith in the technology and slow down adoption in the legitimate economy,' Chainalysis said in a statement, adding that it seeks to build trust in blockchains. Authorities used software from the company Chainalysis 'to analyze blockchain transactions and map out contributors and users of the site,' according to the company. 'By following the funds on a blockchain, it ultimately uncovered the severity of Welcome to Video,' he added.Īnd IRS special agents were able to trace the transactions to the physical location of the server in South Korea, Fort stated. The case stemmed from an investigation that started in August 2017 into illicit transactions using cryptocurrency on the darknet, Downing told reporters. Liu said authorities are trying to recover the profits, so the money could be distributed to the victims. grand jury has also charged Jong in a nine-count indictment that was unsealed Wednesday.Īccording to Jong's indictment, the child porn site took in more than $370,000 worth of bitcoin during the time it was operating.

He is currently serving a prison sentence in South Korea. The Two-Way Justice Department Announces 'Largest Darknet Takedown In History'Īuthorities say a 23-year-old South Korean national, Jong Woo Son, operated the child pornography website.

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