Ex-French Spy Arrested in Strasbourg for Orchestrating Child Rapes in Kenya

A retired French intelligence officer has been apprehended in Strasbourg, France, on charges of orchestrating child sexual abuse, with investigations indicating Kenya as a primary location for the alleged crimes. 

The arrest was confirmed by Strasbourg Public Prosecutor Clarisse Taron.

The 58-year-old, whose identity has not yet been released, faces numerous charges, including aggravated human trafficking, rape and sexual assault of minors, and the production and distribution of child pornography. French authorities allege the suspect not only paid for the abuse of children but also remotely directed and filmed the acts. 

He used his frequent trips to Kenya, law enforcement officials claim, as cover for a network of exploitation. The investigation was initiated by a US-based organisation dedicated to fighting child exploitation, which discovered disturbing online footage linked to the suspect. The American non-profit flagged explicit material circulating on the internet. 

Le Parisien reports that the footage depicted abuse orchestrated remotely, with the suspect allegedly watching the recordings for personal gratification. Economically vulnerable children are increasingly targeted by foreign predators who pay for real-time or recorded access to exploitative content. These crimes frequently involve intermediaries who facilitate the abuse for financial gain, creating an underground market flourishing through anonymity and digital reach.

Kenya has seen an alarming increase in these incidents. Just weeks prior to the French suspect’s arrest, a Kenyan couple was arrested in Mombasa for allegedly attempting to sell their children through an online dating platform. The 41-year-old mother purportedly advertised her three children—aged 13, 7, and 4—for sexual exploitation. The 52-year-old father is accused of repeatedly defiling their eldest daughter. 

These arrests followed a tip-off to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU). The Kenyan couple now faces charges under Section 15 of Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act, potentially resulting in life imprisonment.