In a major victory against online child exploitation, the Trump administration’s Justice Department announced the shutdown of four dark web sites trafficking child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on July 28, 2025. Dubbed Operation Grayskull, the operation, launched in 2020, targeted platforms with over 120,000 members and millions of files, recording up to 100,000 daily visits. The FBI-led effort has convicted 18 individuals, including William Spearman, known as “Boss,” a key distributor sentenced to life in prison.
The investigation began after a spike in traffic to a suspected CSAM site, revealing a sophisticated network where members paid fees, moderated content, or contributed abusive material to gain access. Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, called the operation “one of the most successful” of its kind, noting the sites’ failure to regenerate. Convictions include Selwyn Rosenstein, sentenced to 28 years for running a site described as a “community of pedophiles,” and Matthew Garrell, who received 20 years for a conspiracy involving a grooming “handbook.”
FBI Director Kash Patel hailed the takedown as a warning to predators hiding behind encryption. The operation, part of the DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood, spanned states like Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas, securing over 300 years in combined sentences. While celebrated as a blow to child exploitation, some question the timing of the announcement amid Trump’s DOJ purges, which fired prosecutors like Michael Gordon. The operation underscores the pervasive challenge of online abuse, with Galeotti noting its scale shocked even seasoned prosecutors.
