Pattaya, Thailand-
On March 5th, 2025, a 54-year-old German programmer, identified only as Steffen (surname withheld by police), was arrested at his condominium in the Pattaya area.
The arrest followed a raid conducted by a joint operation between Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The operation was initiated after HSI provided a tip-off to Thai authorities about Steffen’s activities. An arrest warrant had been issued by the Criminal Court on March 3rd, 2025, paving the way for his apprehension. The media was made aware of the arrest today, March 11th, 2025.
Steffen, a retiree who had previously worked as a programmer in Germany before relocating to Thailand, admitted to the charges during questioning. He was accused of running two dark web sites that offered over 5,000 child sexual abuse (CSA) videos for sale. These websites reportedly had a combined total of more than 10,000 subscribers and generated an estimated 3.5 million baht (approximately $100,000 USD) in illicit income. The TCSD commander, Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, revealed that Steffen faced multiple charges, including possession of CSA material for sexual exploitation, distributing CSA for commercial purposes, and producing, importing, or exporting such material outside Thailand.
During the raid, authorities seized computers and other electronic devices from Steffen’s residence, which were examined as part of the investigation.
Photos: Stock photos of police.
