An inhabitant of Berry was sentenced by the Criminal Court of Châteauroux, this Wednesday, January 5, accused of dissemination, importation, possession and capture with a view to disseminating child pornography images, between 2004 and 2020. He receives one year in prison, and 10 years of compulsory care.
Skype, dedicated sites and dark web
This 39-year-old baker was spotted by the Central Office for the Suppression of Violence against Persons, after downloading child pornography files, and connecting to cats known to be used by pedophiles. The OCRVP, through the Child Protection System, counts 4 illegal videos and 85 images.
After an investigation carried out by the Limoges police station, he was placed in police custody in 2020, the central tower of his computer was seized as well as USB keys and hard disks, on which thousands of videos and photos are found. A few months later, for administrative reasons, the Orléans police station takes over the case, and realizes that it has bought a computer. New custody, and new seizure: this time, it is drawings and 3D images that are found. “I did not know that it was also illegal, the police officer explained to me that it was the case” explains the defendant.
In total, 2,282 videos and 6,633 photos were found, dating from 2004 to 2020. Some were uploaded just two days after his second custody.
The investigations also revealed its connection to several sites specializing in this kind of images, in particular via the Tor software, which allows access to the “dark web”. “It was to download music” he asserts.
“It became a habit”
At the bar, the defendant is alone, he has no lawyer, and his defense is in one word: “curiosity”. With each question from the president of the court or the prosecutor, he wanted to understand why some people have these behaviors.
“Curiosity is still largely satisfied” ironically the president, waving one of the files which lists these images. “You say that the first time we sent you one, you found it disgusting: why did you continue? – Each time, it’s my curiosity that takes over. But maybe it’s become a habit “.
Same answer when the prosecutor asks him why he has exchanged messages with men involved in trafficking of these images: “I try to get into their game, to coax them and understand”. Not enough to convince her, on several occasions the word “dependent” is pronounced. “You hide your face” she says, rereading excerpts from the minutes of the man, in which he admitted that these images fed his fantasies.
The court sentenced him to one year in prison, as well as 10 years of socio-judicial monitoring, with obligation of care and definitive ban from practicing activities in contact with minors.