MOSCOW, December 15 (Sputnik) – The refusal of the US to investigate cases of children being exchanged over the internet, across the country will be discussed during Russian delegation's visit to the United States in 2015, Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov said Monday.
In September 2013, reports emerged about an underground market of children being exchanged online in the United States. The exchanges reportedly involved a number of Russian children adopted by US citizens. Russia's requests to the US authorities asking for an investigation were rejected.
"Only six months later [after the requests were sent] did the United States reply that it found no elements of [the] crime. And recently, we received another reply, saying the United States refuses to launch an inquiry," Pavel Astakhov said.
The Children's Rights Commissioner said Russia would visit the United States to continue the dialogue on adopted children.
"In spring 2015, together with the Russian Investigative Committee and Foreign Ministry we will visit the United States for consultations," the ombudsman said.
Astakhov called the illegal exchanges "highly cynical" and said over 30,000 children had been involved in the underground market activities.
The practice of the illegal trade of children through the internet was disclosed after a series of publications by Reuters journalists in 2013.
According to the Reuters investigation, the illegal scheme of children being adopted outside of governmental controls involved thousands foreign children aged from 6 to 14, coming from Russia, China, Ethiopia and Ukraine.
