French authorities have charged the creator of an adult website implicated in sexual crimes, including a case involving a French man who reportedly enlisted numerous individuals to sexually assault his heavily sedated wife, according to prosecutors.
Isaac Steidl, the founder and operator of the Coco.fr site, faces charges such as facilitating illegal transactions via an online platform run by an organized group, following his arrest on Tuesday.
The anonymous platform was dismantled by French authorities in June 2024.
It has been alleged that this site was used to perpetrate various sexual offenses, including pedophilia, rape, and even murder.
Pelicot interacted with potential assailants in the website’s chatroom, titled “A son insu” (without their knowledge).
In December, he received a 20-year prison sentence after a trial that elevated his ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot, to the status of a feminist icon.
Mr. Steidl, an Italian citizen, is currently under judicial supervision, mandated to pay €100,000 in bail, and has been prohibited from leaving the country, according to prosecutors.
The 44-year-old faces charges for complicity in drug trafficking, possession and distribution of child pornography, online corruption of minors, aggravated money laundering, and facilitating illegal transactions through an organized group.
‘Den of predators’
Several of the charges could result in prison sentences of up to ten years.
The closure of the website came after repeated alerts from advocacy groups regarding the dangers associated with the platform, which was labeled a “den of predators.” It was registered in the Channel Island of Guernsey.
The online chat service did not require registration and allowed users to maintain their anonymity.
Mr. Steidl had previously been interrogated in Bulgaria in June.
Three of his relatives, suspected of being involved in managing the platform or benefitting from the related crimes, were questioned in France.
By the end of July 2024, two moderators of the site were apprehended in France, according to a police source who spoke to AFP.
“In total, over 23,000 instances have been reported as having occurred through Coco,” stated Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Prosecutors have indicated that more than €5 million associated with bank accounts in Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, and the Netherlands has been confiscated.
Fifty co-defendants—the men who acted on Dominique Pelicot’s online invitation—were also found guilty and received various sentences ranging from three to 15 years in the trial that concluded in December.
The shocking details of these offenses have horrified France and the world, bringing renewed focus to the issue of male violence.
The trial’s impact was further amplified by Gisele Pelicot’s choice to relinquish her anonymity and pursue a public trial.
