95 arrests

Child abuse network dismantled

An international child abuse network has now been dismantled in France (symbolic image).(Bild: Bruno)

95 people were arrested in France on Thursday for allegedly being part of an international child abuse network. Abusive images and videos of minors had been shared via the messaging service Signal, the police announced.

Between December 9 and 19, a total of 375,000 photos and 156,000 videos were found during house searches. Hundreds of computers, smartphones and other digital devices were confiscated, the gendarmerie announced on Thursday. The investigators had originally searched the cell phone of an accused man and discovered corresponding discussion groups on Signal.

More than a third of those arrested were already known to the police for sexual offenses against children and young people or for using relevant websites. Seven of them were registered in France in the national database for sexual and violent offenders, and most of the suspects had already admitted their actions.

Sports teacher and director of youth organization suspected
The suspects include the director of a youth organization, a sports teacher and a deputy mayor. Those arrested are between 18 and 74 years old, one is only 16. More than 16,000 people from 130 countries were registered in the child pornography forums. The investigation began in November 2023.

The arrests were made during the sensational Avignon rape trial. On Thursday, the main perpetrator Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 20 years. For years, he had regularly drugged his now 71-year-old wife Gisèle with sleeping pills, raped her himself and left her for strangers to rape.