A mayor but also people working for Child Welfare are among the 48 men arrested across France this week during a massive operation against child pornography.
In Burgundy, a mayor of Côte d'Or of a town "
of around 800 inhabitants
" recognized "
some of the charges
", namely the dissemination, detention and acquisition of the image of a minor of a pornographic nature, indicated the public prosecutor in Dijon, Olivier Caracotch.
The city councilor, who will be tried on April 26, had in his possession "
image and video files featuring minors aged 5 to 15, in suggestive poses, or having sex with each other or with adults
", according to the magistrate.
Foster families arrested
In addition to local elected officials, people working for Childhood Social Assistance (ASE), foster families and the companion of a member of the police are also among the many arrested, according to a close source. folder.
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The dragnet, coordinated by the Central Office for the Suppression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP), made it possible to arrest 48 men with very different profiles, suspected of having downloaded and consulted massively pornographic photos and videos featuring children's scene.
Among the people placed in police custody, the youngest is 26 years old, the oldest 79
. are working
,” according to a second close source.
On Thursday, some of those arrested were referred while others saw their police custody extended.
Arrested in the Marne, a man will be tried on April 12 after having admitted the facts, according to the prosecution of Châlons-en-Champagne.
Placed under judicial supervision with a ban on contact with minors, he had five convictions on his record for acts of another nature (theft, violence, traffic offences, etc.).
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Another man was referred to the Chaumont prosecutor's office (Haute Marne) on Wednesday evening and placed under judicial supervision with obligation of care until his trial scheduled for early 2023. He also admitted the facts, said the prosecutor's office.
In Brest, a 52-year-old man was taken into police custody on Tuesday for having, in Locmaria Plouzane (Finistère), between May 3, 2020 and September 18, 2022, recorded, transmitted, imported, exported and broadcast very numerous child pornography files, some of which concern minors clearly under the age of 15, according to the prosecution.
He was placed under judicial supervision with, in particular, a ban on carrying out an activity in contact with minors, as well as an obligation of care.
He will appear in February 2023.
In the Doubs, it was a man "
who was not known to the courts, for anything
" who was arrested, said Ariane Combarel, public prosecutor of Montbéliard.
The Children's Foundation will be a civil party
The Children's Foundation announced on Thursday 17 November that it would "
immediately become a civil party in these cases, symptomatic by their scope, the number of people arrested, nearly 50 people, and the particular resonance of such a nationwide police operation
.
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"
The age of the people arrested, from 20 to over 70, the diversity of profiles, including local elected officials, or social action actors, demonstrate that this scourge affects all categories of the population
", said underlined the Children's Foundation in a press release.
According to the penal code, the fact of consulting habitually or in return for payment an online public communication service making such an image or representation available, of acquiring or possessing such an image or representation by any means whatsoever is punishable by five years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
In October, a 25-year-old policeman who obtained images of rape and sexual assault of minors on a darknet exchange platform, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.