Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Australian police have charged almost 200 people -- including child care workers, doctors and teachers -- in the nation's largest crackdown on child pornography. Hundreds more may be arrested, police said.

Police in Australia's eight states and territories searched 400 properties and have so far charged 191 people with 2,000 offences, a statement from the Australian Federal Police said. Information from the FBI in the U.S. prompted the investigation, police said.

``Child pornography has become a global crime and there could be hundreds more offenders to come,'' Mike Phelan, of the Australian Federal Police, said in the statement. ``It's not limited to any profession -- we have everyone from child care workers to teachers and doctors.''

Australian police discovered photographic studios hidden in suburban homes and libraries involving hundreds of thousands of child pornography images dating back more than 20 years, the statement said. Police seized computer hard drives, boxes of images, cameras and other photographic equipment, the statement said.

The charges include child sex tourism, sexual abuse and downloading and possessing or distributing child pornographic images, the statement said.

``It shocks me most how people can be so depraved to derive pleasure from the exploitation of the most vulnerable, our children,'' Prime Minister John Howard, 65, told radio 3AW in Melbourne. ``It is a feature of a globalized society and it extends right across the community.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Canberra at gdaley@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 30, 2004 19:42 EDT