MOSCOW - Moscow is seriously concerned with reports that at least 26 Russian orphans were abandoned and given to strangers by their American foster parents through an underground Internet network, said the Foreign Ministry of Russia Friday.

With the reports saying that many American parents advertised kids they regretted adopting online, Russia shockingly found that many children were given to pedophiles and child pornography makers, said Konstantin Dolgov, the ministry's envoy for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, in a statement.

This revealed the insufficient protection of these children by the US authorities, he said, urging Washington to investigate the illegal network and clarify the fate of the 26 Russian children.

He added that there are many private orphanages in the United States that escape the government supervision.

Reuters reports this week that some US parents were using the Internet to turn over their adopted children to new families after finding they were having problems raising these children.

The 18-month investigation found out that the transfer, beginning on online bulletin boards, led to cases of child abuse and neglect, and were carried out in a largely unregulated environment.