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Frenchman charged with commissioning online pedophile crimes in Colombia
A 55-year-old Frenchman suspected of commissioning online pedophile crimes in Colombia has been arrested and charged in France, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Saturday.
The suspect was charged this week with complicity in human trafficking involving minors under the age of 15 who had been raped, rape and sexual assault of minors including incestuous acts, as well as acquisition, possession and consultation of pornographic images of minors.
He was remanded in custody.
The prosecutor's office said it worked closely with Colombian authorities and that the operation led to the simultaneous arrests of the suspect, local perpetrators and middlemen – the so-called money runners.
Several victims were also identified and sheltered.
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Investigations revealed that the suspect had transferred more than €30,000 to several people in Colombia in exchange for images of young children being sexually abused, the prosecutor's office said. Weapons were also found at the individual's home.
According to a source close to the case, confirming local media reports, the suspect is a garage owner from the Lille region in northern France. He reportedly took out a loan to pay for between 500 to 600 rapes over a four-year period. They involved children and adolescents from the same Colombian family.
(with newswires)
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