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Two arrested after Sunday Mirror Twitter paedo probe

By Andrew Pugh

Two people have been arrested following a Sunday Mirror investigation into suspected paedophiles on Twitter.

The paper labelled the social networking site a ‘paedophiles’ playground’yesterday after it revealed how the site was being used to distribute images and videos of children.

A man and woman were arrested in a dawn raid on Friday when the Mirror handed details of the investigation to the Met’s Paedophile Unit.

Det Sgt Simon Giles told the paper: ‘Friday’s operation demonstrates the Paedophile Unit’s commitment to safeguarding the most vulnerable and targeting dangerous offenders. I would like to thank the Sunday Mirror for supporting this work.”

Twitter closed down 36 profiles the paper found were being used to discuss child abuse and swap information after being confronted with the paper’s findings

Yesterday’s report said: ‘Within TWO MINUTES of going online we found 20 users who openly expressed their interest in under-age images and child abuse. After two hours we had discovered 200 perverts.”

Criminologist Mark Williams-homas, a former detective who helped with the paper’s investigation, said Twitter was ‘providing an open platform for paedophiles and they have a professional and moral responsibility to do something about it”

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Del Harvey, director of trust and safety for Twitter, told the paper: ‘This is a very important issue that we deal with as quickly and thoroughly as possible. When we receive a report and identify it as valid, we take action immediately.”

Some politicians have now reportedly called for ‘an immediate clean-up of the site”.

Labour MP Tom Watson said the Sunday Mirror’s investigation was ‘remarkable”, adding: ‘It goes to show that all social networks must remain vigilant and actively root out these circles of suspected child abusers.”

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