Norman Thavaud, one of France's best-known youtubers with nearly 12 million subscribers, was taken into police custody on Monday, the newspaper Liberation reveals.
He is currently being questioned about corruption of minors and rape, involving several teenage girls and young women.
This police custody stems from a preliminary investigation opened by the Paris prosecutor's office and entrusted to the minors protection brigade.
In August 2018, the name of Norman Thavaud, at this stage presumed innocent, had been cited in the wave #BalanceTonYoutubeur following a tweet from Lucas Hauchard, alias Squeezie, the number 1 of French youtubers.
He denounced the inappropriate behavior of certain videographers who “take advantage of the psychological vulnerability of young subscribers to obtain sexual intercourse”.
Two years after this first controversy, drowned in a flood of unverifiable accusations on social networks, Maggie Desmarais, a 16-year-old Quebec fan at the time of the events, accuses him on Instagram on July 8, 2020. Screenshots of supporting messages, the young woman accuses Norman Thavaud of having manipulated her to obtain photos and videos of a sexual nature, sent by Snapchat.
After filing a complaint, Maggie Desmarais testified openly on the Urbania site.
Facing the camera, she told a "little unhealthy game of emotional attachment".
“I was young, I admired him, I fell easily into the trap”.
According to her, about thirty young women, having had a similar experience with the youtubeur, would have subsequently contacted her.
Five other potential victims were also questioned by the courts, according to information from Liberation.
With the exception of Maggie Desmarais, all may have been raped.
Two were minors at the time.
> More information to follow