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Three people have been arrested and a number of children have been taken into care in the Philippines in an operation against a paedophile ring led by Devon and Cornwall Police.

As part of Operation Aero, two woman and a man were arrested on Friday (February 23) in Biliran and Culaba and will face justice in the Philippines over allegations of child abuse being carried out and live streamed through Skype.

It follows the conviction of Alain Charlwood-Collings, 39, from Tiverton in Devon. He was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court to 18 years in prison last May.

Throughout the trial the court heard how he arranged for children to be abused in the Philippines while he watched online. More than £33,000 was transferred to recipients in the Philippines by Charlwood-Collings to pay for the sexual abuse of up to 46 victims while he watched and recorded them at his home.

(Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Darren White said: “Our team were monitoring websites that his IP address was accessing and downloading images from which resulted in the discovery of over 100 hours of recorded abuse in 107 individual files. Amongst the 2,000 images, pictures also showed Charlwood-Collings abusing a child.

“Anatomical analysis of individual’s hands depicted in abuse footage and images led to the conviction of Charlwood-Collings.

“Following his conviction, assistance was requested from the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom to facilitate the transfer of investigative material from Operation Aero to authorities in the Philippines to assist in the apprehension of outstanding suspects and the rescuing of children.”

(Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

As a result of this warrant, the National Bureau of Investigations Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI) arrested three suspected traffickers which resulted in thirteen victims, including nine children aged between 4 and 17 and four adult victims, aged 19 and 24, being rescued and taken into care by local authorities for safeguarding.

The number of victims is expected to rise in the coming weeks as the NBI and social workers work in the local community to find the others. The operational activity comes after DS White gave evidence in the Philippines which secured the arrest warrants.

(Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

DS White added: “This has been a protracted and difficult investigation. Our team are a group of specially trained officers in this criminal area who will leave no stone unturned in an effort to bring offenders to justice for these horrendous crimes.

“It is through extensive police collaboration both nationally and internationally that we have successfully been able to carry out the arrests today and also safeguard 13 children. This could not have been achieved without the work carried out between the NBI, the NCA and authorities in the Philippines.

(Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

"Paedophiles are using increasingly sophisticated methods in order to carry on their offending and we, together with other law enforcement agencies, are also using increasingly sophisticated methods to catch them."