A Dutch nationwide often called ‘Mr Darkish’ — who allegedy made $1.6 million in cryptocurrency from internet hosting violent rape and little one
A Dutch nationwide often called ‘Mr Darkish’ — who allegedy made $1.6 million in cryptocurrency from internet hosting violent rape and little one pornography movies — has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury within the District of Columbia.
Michael Rahim Mohammed, 32, allegedly operated the ‘Darkish Scandals’ web site, which has operated on each the darknet and the conventional internet since 2012.
The location hosted greater than 2000 movies and pictures, and marketed that it provided “actual blackmail, rape and compelled movies of women all world wide.”
Customers may pay for the unlawful content material — delivered in electronic mail ‘packs’ for obtain — with Bitcoin or Ethereum, or by importing their very own movies to the content material library. In complete the location acquired 1650 deposits of cryptocurrency, together with 188 Bitcoin and 26.7 Ether.
Web site guidelines prohibited pretend sexual violence
The location’s guidelines prohbited “pretend, novice…or acted motion pictures”, insisted on “actual rape/compelled content material”, and said a desire for “personal made materials.”
However whereas cryptocurrency helped fund the location, it additionally recorded the main points of the crime on the blockchain.
Legislation enforcement companies have been capable of monitor 303 Bitcoin and Ethereum accounts that paid cryptocurrency to the location utilizing Chainalysis transaction tracing software program. A forfeiture grievance seeks to get well the funds and provides the proceeds to the victims.
The complaint notes many accounts have been opened purely for the one transaction and had incomplete KYC verification. However the evaluation helped establish different illicit transactions too:
“Legislation enforcement noticed quite a few funds from these accounts to different darknet markets, which have been flagged by blockchain analytics firms, enabling regulation enforcement to establish illicit transactions.”
Darknet now not so darkish
The location was introduced down after a world investigation was launched together with US investigators, the Dutch Nationwide Police, Europol, and the German Federal Felony Police.
Michael Rahim Mohammed has been charged with distribution of kid pornography, manufacturing and transportation of obscene issues on the market or distribution, partaking within the enterprise of promoting or transferring obscene matter, and laundering of financial devices.
Chief Don Fort of IRS Felony Investigation stated the case ought to function a warning to different criminals that officers can shine a light-weight on the darknet:
“Criminals ought to know in case you go away a digital footprint, we are going to discover you. Should you exploit our kids, we are going to put you behind bars. Should you thought you have been nameless, assume once more. The darkish internet just isn’t fairly as darkish at the moment because of the laborious work of IRS-CI and our accomplice companies.”