According to the Strasbourg public prosecutor’s office, the detained officer allegedly oversaw a network that committed sexual assaults on minors in African countries while operating from abroad. Kenya was cited as a key country where the crimes occurred—partly during the suspect’s earlier assignments. Investigators believe that he paid local individuals to carry out the abuse, record it on video, and upload it online following his specific instructions.

Initial evidence suggests that the suspect deliberately selected impoverished regions where such abuses could be arranged more easily and less visibly. The videos were not only recorded but also disseminated via online platforms, constituting a major case of transnational digital child exploitation.

While the scope of the crimes is still under review, French authorities have yet to disclose the number of victims or the precise time period over which these offenses took place.

U.S. Organization Triggered The Investigation

The investigation began after a U.S.-based non-governmental organization specializing in child protection detected explicit material online. The NGO reported the videos to French authorities, prompting immediate action. The Central Office for Combating Violence Against Persons (OCLCH), through its specialized minor protection unit, is now leading the probe.

Officials say the case illustrates the growing phenomenon of “live-streamed sexual abuse,” whereby perpetrators in wealthier nations exploit children in poorer countries by commissioning and directing abuse remotely for financial and sexual gratification. The victims are then doubly harmed—first by the act itself, and again through the digital reproduction and sharing of the crimes.

This case has added urgency to calls for stronger international cooperation to dismantle digital exploitation networks, and for donor nations to assist low-income countries in building law enforcement capabilities that can detect and resist such violations.