The criminal court of Valenciennes sentenced men to up to ten months in prison for engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl they had met on Snapchat or the online chat site Coco. Out of the twelve men on trial, ten were convicted of sexual assault on a minor under 15 years of age with a five-year age difference. The most heavily sentenced individual, due to the frequency of his interactions with the young girl, received thirty months in prison, twenty of which were suspended for two years. The president of the court emphasized that these were acts of rape that had been downgraded to sexual assault, and reminded the men that they could have been tried in a court of assizes. Two other men were convicted of solicitation and possession of child pornography and received suspended prison sentences. All the men were also ordered to undergo treatment, prohibited from working with minors for five years, and were registered in the sex offenders’ database.
The investigation began in April 2023 when the parents of the teenager, concerned about her disappearance, went to the police. The girl was found at one of the defendant’s homes and explained her disappearance as a need for solitude, partly due to her mother’s alcoholism. The investigation revealed that she had exchanged messages with fifty-four accounts, including sending nude photos. It was also discovered that she had engaged in sexual activities, both paid and unpaid, with adults she met on Snapchat and Coco.fr (now Coco.gg). Coco.fr has been linked to several criminal cases, including the recent murder of Philippe Coopman in Grande-Synthe, as it was known for facilitating sexual relationships between adults and minors.
During the trial, much of the discussion centered around the age of the victim, with the defendants claiming they were unaware of her exact age. One of the men stated that based on the photos, he believed she was around twenty years old, not 14. However, the victim’s father described his daughter as looking closer to twelve years old at 14. The lawyer representing the girl’s family commented that the sentences handed down to the defendants were significant but would never make up for what the young girl had lost. The court also emphasized the need for rehabilitation for the perpetrators and restrictions on their future interactions with minors.
Overall, the court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of exploitation and abuse of a vulnerable teenager by multiple adults met on social media platforms. The case highlighted the risks associated with online interactions, especially for young people, and underscored the importance of safeguarding measures to protect minors from exploitation and harm. The significant sentences handed down to the defendants were intended to serve as a deterrent and to send a message that such behavior would not be tolerated or excused. The incident also led to discussions about the responsibility of online platforms in preventing and addressing such cases of sexual exploitation and abuse.
