US woman 'abuses child on webcam'

British detectives yesterday said an investigation into internet child pornography had uncovered a woman in the US suspected of using a webcam to broadcast live sexual abuse of her young child.

British police launched the investigation last Thursday when officers arrested an 18-year-old man in central England, who was later charged with possessing and distributing abusive images of children.

The following day, detectives contacted Britain's Child Exploitation Online Protection agency and the US Embassy, leading to the arrest of the woman in Maine.