A former investigator’s journey into dark web child safety

The internet’s hidden corners harbor some of humanity’s darkest crimes. Investigators like Pete Manning dedicate their careers to navigating these dangerous digital spaces, working tirelessly to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

When retired investigator Pete Manning talks about the dark web, he’s drawing on more than a decade of work from 2010 to 2023. In this conversation, Pete shares what he witnessed inside online spaces where child abuse offenders try to hide—and why smarter tools and cross‑agency collaboration help direct attention to potential abuse content faster, so teams can focus on finding victims.

Disclosure: Pete participated in this interview in his personal capacity. He was not compensated and received no in‑kind support. His views and opinions are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of any government agency, current or former employer. Pete no longer conducts investigations and no longer uses Thorn’s tools at the time of recording. (Recorded July 2025)

The dark web, accessible through specialized browsers, was designed to provide anonymity and privacy. While it can serve legitimate purposes, it has also become a haven for criminal activity, including the abuse and exploitation of children. The anonymity that protects journalists and activists in oppressive regimes also shields those who harm the most vulnerable.

For investigators, the dark web presents what Pete calls “the ultimate puzzle”—tracking down offenders who believe they’re operating beyond the reach of law enforcement. The scale of the problem is staggering, with some forums hosting hundreds of thousands of user accounts dedicated to the most heinous crimes against children.

Behind every investigation are real children whose lives hang in the balance. In this moving video, Pete shares his firsthand account of this critical work—the challenges, the emotional reality, and the resources that are changing how investigators fight online child exploitation.

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Video Transcript

“My parents were both scientists, and I also wanted a career in science as well. But I still have that lingering, you know, urge to be in law enforcement.”

“My background was in microbiology and I got a master’s in forensic science, and then… I was hired by the Secret Service… and luckily, when I got in, I was put almost directly into an electronic crimes task force for New England.”

 “If you have a regular internet browser and an internet connection, anybody can get to the dark web.”

“Tor — the Onion Router — anonymizes traffic… encrypts it… and allows users to create hidden services.”

“No longer would they use these traditional means on the internet when they knew that law enforcement could track them down… with Tor in the dark web… they knew they could hide and operate in plain sight.”

“At the beginning, it was almost like they had free range. They could do anything they wanted to do because they thought law enforcement didn’t have any experience with Tor.”

“The offenders have to develop this really tight trade craft to keep them from being caught… they learn all the techniques they can to keep themselves totally safe.

“We had some forums that had half a million users… they weren’t all active at one time, but half a million accounts on the dark web forum that was strictly for the abuse of young children is an incredible number. It’s almost incomprehensible.”

“It’s the ultimate puzzle… you had such a dire crime and very few ways of actually tracking somebody down.”

“We could make a significant arrest… and we would probably pause for five minutes… we would do this weird ritual, we shake hands, say good job, and then we would just get back right into another one.”

“We’ve… rescued children from the beds of their offenders at the time we made entry. We’ve watched children grow up through the series of their videos and images… and that is really heartbreaking.”

“You’re happy that you’re gonna make some sort of difference in that child’s life… but it somehow just becomes more real.”

“It’s pretty confusing… you spend six months staring at a series of images… and then you’re in that child’s house… looking at that child. It hits you later.”

“We started using some of the Thorn solutions, probably as early as 2013, 2014… and it was dramatic. And I’m not just saying that because we’re on a film podcast and I’m talking to you. I would have said that from the very beginning.”

“Some of what Thorn did was take that load off of our backs…

“It was a direct… a lot of the success we had was a direct result of what Thorn was able to provide.”

“Just knowing that there are people… investigators out there in the world that will go to the ends of the earth to rescue one child. Gives me a lot of hope.”