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THE fifth estate: Landslide
the landslide case > Printer Version
Broadcast
November 5th, 2003
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CHILD PORN INVESTIGATION
The biggest investigation into child pornography on the internet began
in 1999. Landslide Productions was a company that advertised and provided
access to child porn web sites. Subscribers paid a fee of $29.95 to enter.
Thinking that computers provided anonymity some 300,000 people in 60 countries
subscribed to view and download the images. But when Landslide Productions
was busted the subscription list was handed over to the authorities all
over the world (see below for a comparison of arrests made in this investigation).
Here is a breakdown of the events in the case:
1997
Thomas Reedy begins operating Landslide Productions. (read more about
Thomas Reedy)
APRIL 1999
United States Postal investigators first hear of Reedy’s web site.
MAY 1999
U.S. Postal inspectors find their “smoking gun”, a banner
advertising “Child Porn”.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1999
Postal inspectors, Dallas Police, the FBI, and other authorities conduct
a raid on the Reedy’s home. Almost immediately, Operation Avalanche
is launched in the U.S.
APRIL 2000
U.S. authorities issue an 89-count federal indictment against the Reedys.
SUMMER 2000
An investigator from the Ontario Provincial Police goes to Texas to pick
up the Canadian subscriber list from Reedy’s computer. The list
contains 2329 names.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2000
Thomas and Janice Reedy on trial. The Reedy's insisted that they had done
nothing wrong and argued that since they did not publish the material
they couldn't be responsible for its content.
JANUARY 2001
Canadian police hold a meeting in Ottawa to launch Operation Snowball
in Canada. It is attended by police forces from across Canada.
AUGUST 2001
Thomas Reedy is sentenced to 1335 years in prison. Janice Reedy is sentenced
to 14 years in prison.
JANUARY 16, 2003
Toronto police Detective Sgt. Paul Gillespie and OPP Detective Insp. Bob
Matthews hold a press conference announcing that Operation Snowball isn’t
working in Canada. Only 5% of suspects in Canada have been arrested. (read
a CBC.ca news story)
MAY 12, 2003
Thomas Reedy’s sentence is reduced to 180 years.
ARRESTS RESULTING FROM THE LANDSLIDE CASE
In Canada, out of 2329 names given to police, 141 people
have been arrested for child pornography.
British police have arrested almost 1600 of 7000 subscribers, and they’ve
searched over 3000. That is more than any other police force in the world.
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