KABIR GARG FROM LEWISHAM JAILED FOR RUNNING CHILD ABUSE SITE ON DARK WEB

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community and law enforcement agencies alike, Dr. Kabir Garg, a 33-year-old psychiatrist residing in Lewisham, has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in operating a sinister dark web platform dedicated to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered Garg’s role as one of the key moderators of a website known as ‘The Annex’, which boasted an alarming membership of approximately 90,000 paedophiles from around the globe. This site was notorious for its daily sharing of hundreds of links containing child abuse material, making it a hub of illegal activity on the dark web.

Members of ‘The Annex’ accessed the platform through Tor, a widely used dark web browser that is estimated to have around 1.4 million users worldwide. Alarmingly, it is reported that nearly 40% of all searches conducted via Tor are related to child sexual abuse material, highlighting the extent of the problem and the difficulty law enforcement faces in combating such illicit networks.

Garg’s arrest took place in November 2022 at his flat in Lewisham, following a coordinated operation involving international law enforcement partners. Officers seized his laptop and other electronic devices after discovering that he was logged into his moderator account on the site at the time of his arrest. The investigation revealed that Garg had initially joined ‘The Annex’ as a regular member but gradually dedicated significant time and effort to gain the trust of other members, eventually earning a position as a site moderator. As a moderator, Garg was responsible for enforcing the site’s rules, removing members who violated them, and providing advice on how to evade law enforcement detection.

Further analysis of the seized devices uncovered chat logs, messages, and files that explicitly demonstrated Garg’s sexual interest in children and his active role in the site’s operations. The evidence included over 7,000 images and videos depicting child abuse, alongside messages indicating that Garg had applied for and was promoted to a higher moderator rank, granting him greater responsibilities and access to sensitive content. The chat logs also revealed that Garg shared and encouraged others to share links to illegal material, and he provided guidance on how to avoid detection by authorities.

In addition to his online activities, investigators found articles and journals on Garg’s laptop related to his professional background as a psychiatrist. These documents, with titles such as ‘Puberty and Adolescent Sexuality’, ‘A Study on Child Abuse India’, and ‘Effects and Aftermath of Rape’, indicated that Garg was well aware of the psychological impact of sexual abuse on children. This knowledge, coupled with his actions, painted a disturbing picture of his deliberate involvement in facilitating and promoting child exploitation.

Garg pleaded guilty in January to eight charges, including facilitating the sexual exploitation of children, three counts of making and distributing indecent images of children, and possession of prohibited images. His sentencing took place at Woolwich Crown Court, where he was handed a six-year prison term. Additionally, Garg will be subject to a Serious Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.