Suspect held in detention over one year after supplementary charges filed
Suspect in child abuse case remains in pre-trial detention over one year after supplementary charges filed.
Event / Security
Lucenay Child Sexual Abuse Case
A 40-year-old French man charged with rape and sexual assault of 34 children aged 3-9 in Lucenay, Beaujolais between 2020-2024. The suspect created approximately 330 videos and photographs documenting abuse using concealed devices, targeting boys from his children's school. Arrested in December 2024 after victims disclosed abuse in late 2024, he confessed to offenses against approximately 30 children with supplementary charges filed in April 2026.
4 reported locations
Daily activity
0 articles0 articles
2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 30 Apr, 09:07 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Sexual abuse of boys aged 3 to 9 occurred between 2020 and 2024 in Beaujolais
The offenses took place between 2020 and 2024 in Lucenay, a village in the Beaujolais region approximately 30 kilometers north of Lyon. The perpetrator targeted boys who attended the same school as his own children, from kindergarten through elementary school. He exploited occasions such as birthday parties and sleepover events at his home to commit the assaults.
Man in pre-trial detention for more than one year following supplementary charges
Following the supplementary examination in April 2026 that identified 34 total victims, the suspect has been held in pre-trial detention. According to the reporting, he has been in detention for more than one year. During his interrogations, he confessed to offenses against approximately 30 children.
Suspect attempted suicide after release from initial custody
After being released following his initial custody period in December 2024, the man wrote a letter expressing suicidal intent addressed to his children, relatives, and the families and child victims. He subsequently attempted to hang himself from an oak tree in the Charnay forest in Rhône but was recovered alive by gendarmes.
40-year-old man charged with rape and sexual assault of 34 children in Rhône
A 40-year-old man was charged in April 2026 with rape and sexual assault of minors under 15 years old, and production and possession of child sexual abuse material. The initial examination occurred in January 2025 with the same charges. A supplementary examination in April added new victims, bringing the total to 34 children. The prosecutor noted that not all minors were victims of the same offenses.
Perpetrator created approximately 330 videos and photographs of sexual assaults
The suspect produced approximately 330 videos and photographs documenting the rape and sexual assault of children, both when awake and asleep, aged 3 to 9 years old at the time of the offenses. He used his mobile phone and a small camera concealed inside an alarm clock to record the abuse.
Man arrested in December 2024 after children disclose abuse to parents
When certain children began disclosing the man's actions to their parents in late 2024, complaints were filed. The suspect was arrested and placed in custody in December 2024 following these complaints.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Man charged with sexual abuse of 34 children in Rhône region
Man charged with sexually abusing 34 children; 330 abuse materials found; arrested December 2024.