Overview
- The criminal court in Besançon sentenced Théo Denner, 25, to 18 years in prison for using a fake female persona to lure adolescents and force sex by threatening to leak their images, with offenses spanning 2018 to 2023.
- Prosecutor Jérémy Lhadi had sought a 20-year term and labeled Denner a meticulous "sexual hunter" during closing arguments.
- Coverage differs on scope, with Le Parisien reporting 39 victims, AFP 42, and Franceinfo 43, and with six to seven of them reporting rape.
- A court psychiatrist found no mental illness and described a "perverse structure" of personality, as the defense argued he was a confused young man struggling to accept his sexuality.
- Lawyers for victims said shame and silence in the rural Doubs community delayed reports for years, and they warned that the damage extends beyond the charged crimes and will require sustained support.