Participants were required to continually upload images of child sexual abuse to maintain their membership. To conceal their conduct, members used screen names rather than actual names and accessed the bulletin board via proxy servers, with internet traffic routed through other computers to disguise a user's location, according to the court papers. Images of abuse required to maintain membership Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, who heads the Justice Department's criminal division, called the criminal enterprise 'a living horror.' Napolitano said the amount of child porn swapped by participants in the network was massive, the equivalent to 16,000 DVDs. In many cases, the children being victimized were in obvious, and intentional, pain - even in distress and crying, just as the rules for one area of the bulletin board mandated, the attorney general said.įifteen arrested Dreamboard participants personally created child pornography, according to the Justice Department. Justice Department, the attorney general called the criminal activity a 'nightmare' for the children and said that some of the children featured in the images and videos were just infants. 'A living horror'Īt a news conference at the U.S. Another 20 are known to authorities solely by their internet names and remain at large.Īuthorities have arrested people in a number of countries, including Canada. So far, 43 people have been arrested in the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The type of behavior that is alleged has absolutely no place in our community,' said the mayor's statement.An unspecified number of Canadians are among 72 people charged with participating in an international child pornography network, U.S officials announced Wendesday.Ī 20-month law enforcement effort called Operation Delego targeted over 500 alleged members of 'Dreamboard' - a members-only internet club promoting pedophilia, said U.S. If these allegations prove to be true, the suspect detained should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 'Our first priority is ensuring the safety of every child. Newton Mayor Setti Warren issued a statement addressing the allegations. Now he says his focus is on comforting the teachers and students of the school, 'It's so sad and upsetting on so many levels and our concern is the Underwood community and supporting them.' The Superintendent of Newton Public Schools David Fleishman told reporters hours after Ettlinger's arrest that the popular teacher just passed a routine background check in 2010. A letter was sent home to parents informing them of the charges and explaining the school has convened a crisis team to deal with the situation. He has been put on paid administrative leave.

Prosecutors had asked for bail to be set at $250,000.Įttlinger is a teacher at the Underwood Elementary School and he has taught in the Newton school system for 12 years. 'He identified the girl as somebody that he babysat for, the daughter of a family friend,' said David Deakin, the Assistant District Attorney in court.Įttlinger was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and held on $10,000 bail.

Dreamboard arrests