[Back to the takedown index](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns) # Operation Pacifier / Playpen February 2015, Child sexual abuse material Led by [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation) Extended pass entry, last reviewed August 21, 2026 What was taken down? Server seized and covertly operated by the FBI for approximately two weeks under a search warrant before permanent shutdown. [See what happened](#what-happened) What happened to the people? 1 convicted named in the public record. Group accounted for: Likely complete [See people and accountability](#people) Did it stay down? Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. [See what happened afterward](#afterward) ## What happened FBI seized the Playpen Tor hidden-service server and, under court authorization, continued operating it for a limited period as an investigative technique (a Network Investigative Technique) to identify users, before shutting it down. **Date:** February 20 to March 4, 2015 **Target:** Playpen, csam platform **Activity:** Child sexual abuse material **Operational lead:** FBI **Jurisdiction:** Not established **Outcome:** Server seized and covertly operated by the FBI for approximately two weeks under a search warrant before permanent shutdown. **Status:** Completed **Legal mechanism:** Federal search warrant (E.D. Va.) authorizing an NIT; subsequent criminal prosecutions nationwide. **Group accounted for:** Likely complete ### Infrastructure 1 server taken over. | Identifier | Recorded as | Status | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Not published | 1 server | Taken over, United States | Tor hidden-service server seized and covertly operated by FBI under warrant before shutdown.[[1]](#source-1) | Domains and onion addresses are shown defanged. Where the record gives a count but no identifier, the count is shown in place of one. This list carries only what appears in the cited sources. ## People and accountability Named in the public record: 1 convicted. Figures count individuals named in charging documents and official statements, each person once per outcome. People alleged to be involved but not publicly identified are not counted. #### Steven W. Chase Creator and lead administrator of Playpen. Current public status: Convicted. **Charging authority:** Not established in the public record **Main charges:** Engaging in a child-exploitation enterprise **Case number:** Not established in the public record **Arresting authority:** Not established in the public record **Arrest location:** Not established in the public record **Extradition status:** Not established in the public record **Conviction or plea:** Convicted **Sentence:** Not established in the public record **Segment:** Core operator **Sources:** [[1]](#source-1) **Full record:** [Everything indexed for Steven W. Chase](https://takedownindex.org/people/steven-w-chase) Group accounted for: Likely complete Creator/lead administrator and co-administrators were identified and prosecuted; downstream user prosecutions are a separate, much larger population. FBI later described Playpen as having more than 150,000 users. [See the organizations and roles behind this action](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-pacifier-playpen/organizations) ## What happened afterward Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. ## Sources Numbered markers throughout this entry link to the source that supports the claim beside them. ### Official sources 1. [Operation Pacifier / Playpen case history](https://takedownindex.org/sources/fbi-us-doj-operation-pacifier-playpen-case-history) FBI / US DOJ, March 4, 2015, Source grade S2 Establishes the Playpen server seizure, the FBI's covert operation of the site under an NIT warrant, and the resulting prosecutions. No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. Coverage note. - Added from deep-research aggregation pass. Not independently re-verified source-by-source to the same standard as the original 38-incident core; source\_quality capped at S2/P2 pending a dedicated verification pass. - The FBI's continued covert operation of a seized CSAM site as an investigative technique was legally and ethically controversial and generated substantial subsequent litigation over the scope of the NIT warrant. Research context ## How this entry was checked This entry came from a broader aggregation pass and has not been independently verified source by source. Its sources are graded no higher than P2 or S2, and most carry no address yet. Treat the figures as a research lead rather than a settled record. Source review: Extended pass, not yet verified Sources cited: 1 Research cutoff: August 20, 2026 Last reviewed August 21, 2026 See also [About the Internet Takedown Index](https://takedownindex.org/about) Related entries - [Operation Source / Beebone botnet disruption](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-source-beebone-botnet-disruption) - [Operation Onymous](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-onymous) - [Darkode forum takedown](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/darkode-forum-takedown) Report updates or corrections Help keep this record accurate. [Submit feedback](https://takedownindex.org/about#corrections-and-updates)