The Justice Department has concluded Operation Grayskull, a major joint effort with the FBI that led to the takedown of four dark web platforms dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The operation has already resulted in 18 convictions across federal jurisdictions, with some receiving decades-long sentences, according to The Post Millennial.

Among the convicted is Thomas Peter Katsampes of Minnesota, who was sentenced to over 20 years in prison. Katsampes joined a CSAM site in 2022, actively promoted material involving prepubescent children, and served as a moderator. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution and will remain under lifetime supervision.

“These offenders thought they could act without consequences, but they were wrong,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti. FBI Director Kash Patel called the operation one of the most significant strikes ever made against child exploitation on the dark web, stating, “You cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”

The dismantled platforms were described as some of the most egregious ever uncovered, with sections for extreme violence and detailed instructions on avoiding law enforcement. One site reportedly had over 120,000 users and recorded 100,000 visits in a single day.

In the Southern District of Florida alone, eight men received sentences ranging from over 20 years to life in prison, including a life term for William Michael Spearman. International arrests were also made in Europe and South Africa. Operation Grayskull was led by the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section under Project Safe Childhood, a long-standing initiative against online child abuse.