One million images, including pictures of infants and young teenagers involved in sexual acts were confiscated following a six-month investigation by the Australian Federal Police's Online Child Sex Exploitation Team (OCSET).
More than 100 police were involved in the investigation in what is claimed to be the largest operation of its kind since the Federal Parliament enacted legislation in 2005 to allow the prosecution of child sex offences under Commonwealth Law.
The AFP's acting national manager of High Tech Crime Operations, Kevin Zuccato, said that at least one child had been identified as being at risk and removed from harm as a result of the operation.
"This means 31 people who chose to become involved in this abhorrent activity have now been arrested. Protecting Australian children is an absolute priority for law enforcement agencies worldwide and the Virtual Global Taskforce has been able to combine resources to ensure this borderless crime does not go undetected and unpunished," Zuccato said.
A teacher, a forensic psychologist, and a former police officer are said to be amongst those arrested.
Over the weekend
seven men were charged and an alleged child porn network dismantled following an intensive 11-month joint investigation
The arrests are the result of an Interpol referral to OCSET in August this year and involved cooperation with Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, and Western Australian police.