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France arrests 55 men for sharing child abuse material on Telegram
French authorities have detained 55 men across 42 regions this week as part of a major crackdown on a suspected paedophile network using the Telegram messaging app. The suspects, aged between 25 and 75, face charges related to possessing, distributing, and regularly viewing child pornography involving victims under 10 years old. Among those arrested are a priest, a paramedic, and a music teacher.
The arrests followed a thorough ten-month investigation led by OFMIN, the French office dedicated to protecting minors from violence. This extensive operation involved undercover work analyzing thousands of messages and identifying illegal content shared on Telegram.
Quentin Bevan, head of OFMIN’s operational unit, explained that the men were in contact with highly dangerous offenders already imprisoned since last summer. The investigation initially began after arrests of suspected child abusers who posted illegal images on Telegram.
In 2024, OFMIN also issued a warrant leading to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in Paris, who remains under investigation for failing to prevent the spread of extremist, terrorist, and illegal content on his platform. Durov has faced allegations ranging from child abuse facilitation to drug trafficking and arms sales. Although Telegram has recently increased cooperation, authorities say the platform only minimally complies with legal requirements.
Durov has defended Telegram’s efforts to combat child abuse material, calling accusations of inaction a manipulation. He also accused France’s foreign intelligence agency of attempting to censor certain political content, a claim denied by the agency.
