A group of six young men who allegedly promoted black magic and satanism via two websites which also featured child pornography, were brought before an Athens prosecutor yesterday. The men (aged 17, 18, 19, 23 and 32) were arrested in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa and Pyrgos, after police confiscated computer discs, video tapes and photographs of black magic rituals and child pornography from their homes. A 20-year-old woman, who is studying abroad, is also believed to be implicated in the ring.

According to police, ring members targeted 15- to 18-year-olds whom they tried to lure into black magic, displaying photographs of young naked women on crosses and youngsters drinking blood at rituals.

The websites also allegedly advertised the sale of books on black magic, police said, without determining how payments were made online.