Hackers Arrested for Allegedly Stealing 8,000 Kids' Sensitive Photos and Personal Data From Preschool Database By Angel Saunders

Two men in the United Kingdom have been arrested after allegedly hacking an international preschool chain and posting sensitive images of children on the dark web for ransom, according to reports. 

The suspects, identified by The Daily Mail only as a 17-year-old and 22-year-old, were taken into police custody and are being held for questioning, the outlet reported on Tuesday, Oct. 7. 

The duo is said to use the alias “Radiant,” per the BBC.

PEOPLE did not immediately receive a response from the London Metropolitan Police or Kido International Preschool.

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According to the New York Times and The Daily Mail, Kido operates preschool locations throughout London, as well as several locations in the United States, China and India.

The company “reported an incident to us and we are assessing the information provided,” the Information Commissioners Office, Britain’s data protection agency, said in a statement obtained by the Times. 

The data of approximately 8,000 children were affected by the data breach, the Daily Mail and CNN reported.

“The safety and privacy of children remains paramount, and we will work with our partners to understand the full impact of this incident and support those affected,” the Information Commissioners Office added.

Per CNN, the suspects requested that the ransom be paid in bitcoin, adding that parents received calls with demands of around £600,000 ($809,700).

It is believed that Radiant did not profit from the heist, as Kido International did not agree to the hackers’ demands.

Ciaran Martin, the former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, told BBC, “The hackers are trying to stoke up fear and the risk of physical harm to children is extremely low.”

Anders Laustsen, the CEO of Famly, the software company that the hackers reportedly used to conduct the cyber attack, described the hack as a “truly barbaric new low.”

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“We have conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and can confirm that there has been no breach of Famly’s security or infrastructure in any way and no other customers have been affected,” Laustsen told the BBC. “We of course take data security and privacy extremely seriously.”

The BBC also reported that the suspects reached out to the news agency after reports of the hacking were published. 

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“We do it for money, not for anything other than money,” one of the suspects reportedly told the outlet, also sharing that English is not their first language and claimed they hired people to make the calls.

“I’m aware we are criminals,” the alleged hacker said, per the outlet. “This isn’t my first time and will not be my last time.”