The man finally recognized an "attraction to adolescents".
The central group of minors victims of the Central Office for the Repression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP) arrested on Monday a 36-year-old schoolteacher, also a municipal councilor in Bédarieux, in the Hérault, the Béziers prosecutor's office said on Wednesday in a statement. communicated.
The technical investigations of the investigators revealed that this man had "detained, downloaded and made available files containing images and videos of a child pornography", specified Raphaël Balland, the public prosecutor of Béziers.
In all, more than 10,000 images have been seized, according to France 3 Occitanie.
An attraction for "young men"
The man in custody ended up "admitting to having a sexual attraction towards boys aged 16 to 18".
The teacher also admitted "having downloaded some pornographic images featuring minors on peer-to-peer networks but that he had immediately erased them".
However, the first exploitation of computer and telephone elements seized at his home made it possible "to confirm his sexual attraction to young men and adolescents", underlines the magistrate.
After being presented to a judge by order of the public prosecutor's office, he was indicted on "counts of detention, offering and making available as well as imports of pornographic files featuring minors between October 2015 and October 2021 ".
"He no longer has his place in the city council"
The teacher was remanded in custody in the evening by the judge of freedoms and detention.
The penalties for these offenses go up to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
"If the facts are proven, and this seems to be the case, this person no longer has a place in the municipal council" explained in a press release quoted by France Bleu the mayor of Bédarieux, Francis Barsse.
A listening cell was set up Thursday by the services of National Education to support staff and children who so wish, further specifies the local radio.
