France: 80 suspects arrested in child abuse investigation

(Patria) - Eighty men suspected of child abuse were arrested in France this week as part of a major operation that revealed the scourge affects all social strata.

A high-ranking police official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Agence France Presse that this was the largest operation ever conducted in France and that among those arrested were two educators, a sports coach, and a supervisor at a home for children with developmental disabilities.

One of the teachers allegedly stole photos and videos of his students and has also been charged with sexually abusing one student, police said.

Among the arrested are about ten men suspected of raping minors or sexual assault.

The arrested men range in age from 30 to over 60, and include a local official, an engineer, and an unemployed person.

- There is no typical profile among these criminals; we encounter all socio-professional categories - said the police official, adding that over 100,000 videos and photos of child abuse were found during the searches.

The images were stored on computers, hard drives, or in other digital formats.

- Some of the content was extremely violent - said the police official.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin praised the police's work and the major crackdown on this type of crime, adding that investigations are still ongoing.