The team of investigators responsible for uncovering the child abuse network used by Robert Mikelsons have penetrated several secret websites and forums where pornographic images of children are exchanged. As a result around 10,000 photos have been obtained and destroyed, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday.

Robert Mikelsons is accused of abusing over 80 children under his care in Amsterdam. He used the global Tor-network, which allows users to surf the internet anonymously, to access secret sites and forums. Using Tor, the investigators also managed to access several of the sites.

The Public Prosecutor's Office says a number of the images were found to be recent, but most are older, some dating back as five years. Investigators also found two images connected with the Mikelsons' child sex-abuse case on websites already closed down by the authorities in the United States. 

The Dutch authorities will make the material they have discovered available to colleagues in the countries where it originated from. According to the Public Prosecutor, no new suspects have been identified in the investigation, nor any any new victims.

(lo/tf)

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