An international ring of paedophiles has been uncovered in which parents allegedly abused their own children and then posted the images on the internet, the United States Customs Service says

Instead of protecting their children, these parents exploited them in the worst possible way. Ten people have been arrested in the US and 10 in Europe, including in England. The head of the US Customs Service, Robert Bonner, described it as the most despicable crime he had ever encountered. He said at least 45 children between the ages of two and 14 had been abused, most of them by their own parents. Mr Bonner said the children had been forced to commit sex acts. Members of the ring, referred to as "the club", sent each other messages requesting photos of specific poses. There was one case, Mr Bonner said, of parents exchanging children, not just their photos.