The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has established a specialist taskforce to combat a highly decentralised online crime network accused of cyber attacks, violent extremist content, and the sadistic exploitation of vulnerable Australian children.
The network is understood to be made up of loosely affiliated sub-groups of mostly young men from English-speaking countries who share extremist and violent ideologies, including nihilism, Nazism, satanism, and sadism.
Investigators say members are exploiting their perceived anonymity to target, groom and coerce youth — predominantly young girls — into performing explicit and violent acts on themselves, siblings, peers or even pets, before trading the material within the criminal community to boost status and notoriety.
The AFP has linked the group to large-scale cyber intrusions against major communications companies, doxxing, swatting, and extremist-inspired violent offences in Australia and overseas.
To counter the threat, the AFP has launched Taskforce Pompilid, bringing together experienced cybercrime, counter-terrorism and child protection investigators who will work closely with domestic agencies and international partners, including the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett condemned the offenders as “cowards who hide in the dark corners of the internet”.
“These online criminals believe they can commit abhorrent crimes with no repercussions from behind a keyboard,” she said.
“Taskforce Pompilid is our commitment to eradicating these individuals — we want to take them away from their computer screens and put them before real-world courts to face justice.”
So far, 59 alleged Australian offenders have been identified within the network. AFP operations have already led to nine arrests internationally and three in Australia, preventing ongoing harm to several children.
Parents and carers are being urged to stay alert to the risks of online exploitation and keep open lines of communication with young people about respectful online behaviour.
Warning signs may include self-harm linked to online activity, sudden changes in sleep or eating habits, withdrawal from family or friends, secretive device use, and the adoption of extreme language or symbols.
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