A prominent LGBT activist who was recently arrested on charges that included the rape of a 4-year-old girl has been discovered to have organized a pedophile network in France. An investigation conducted by the Office of Minors (L’OFMIN), a newly-created branch of the French National Police, has uncovered a pedophile network that extends from the Loire-Atlantique region to Belgium.
Reporting on the revelations, Le Parisien neglected to name LGBT activist Pierre-Alain Cottineau as the leader of the criminal organization, choosing instead to refer to him as a “32 year-old family assistant in Loire-Atlantique.”
Cottineau was well-known in Loire-Atlantique for his political activism, which included advocacy for the LGBT community, youth, and minority populations. In 2021, he stood for departmental elections under the banner of La France Insoumise (LFI), a left-wing political party that has a hard-line “zero-tolerance” policy on “sexist, racist, anti-Semitic or LGBTIphobic remarks or behavior” amongst its members.
Cottineau, a professional caregiver and family aide, co-founded multiple activist organizations, including the Oudon Solidarity and Mutual Aid Collective, as well as the LGBTQI+ Association of Ancenis (EsAc). In 2018, Cottineau was elected president of The Rainbow Shelter (L’Association Esprit Arc-en-Ciel – ESAC), and hosted the community’s first-ever “forum” to combat homophobia and transphobia.
In addition to his LGBT activism, Cottineau was a member of the Association Lily Cerise et Cie, an organization which, according to its website, advocates against domestic abuse. The group also offers sex education lessons to very young children, and volunteer members have been invited by elected officials to discuss “children’s rights, consent, and intimate parts of the body,” according to information posted to their social media.
In materials aimed at children which introduce LGBT themes, Lily Cerise et Cie promoted and endorsed ESAC while Cottineau had worked in a leadership role.
A judicial review is underway at the Nantes court regarding OFMIN’s investigation. Among the horrific discoveries: the rape of very young children, including infants; victims being targeted in “the professional environment of a suspect”; sex orgies involving children broadcast on the darknet; and suspicions of drugging victims.
A total of four suspects in addition to Cottineau have been arrested to date. Among them is a man who has been convicted of the homicide and rape of minors in Belgium.
Law enforcement officials from several European countries were able to identify the suspects by analyzing child sexual abuse videos posted online. They are facing life imprisonment for the rape of minors, acts of torture and barbarism committed against minors, and human trafficking in an organized gang.
According to Le Parisien, Cottineau is suspected of being the network’s organizer and of providing victims to other sexual predators via his connections as a family assistant and early childhood professional. Cottineau allegedly offered up children and babies for men to rape from various regions of France, as well as abroad, using encrypted communications applications. During the pre-arranged sessions, the men would film the rape of the victims – with some of the children being in such a state of lethargy that investigators believe they may have been drugged.
Currently, a total of four victims under the age of five have been identified, though OFMIN expects there are more.
🚨A prominent French LGBT activist is in police custody after raping and torturing a severely disabled 4-year-old girl.
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) October 2, 2024
Pierre-Alain Cottineau, who was known for his work with minorities and youth, became a foster father to the girl last year.https://t.co/hbKpty6y7F
In September, Cottineau was arrested at Nantes Airport upon return from a vacation in Tunisia and charged with subjecting a severely developmentally disabled toddler he had fostered to horrific sexual and physical abuse.
Upon police interrogation, he admitted to sexually and physically abusing the little girl, and distributing videos through pedophile networks in France.
Cottineau obtained approval from Child Welfare services to become a foster parent on December, 1, 2023, specifically requesting children under the age of 6. He was rapidly matched with a developmentally disabled 4-year-old girl on December 7, 2023, who was then placed directly in his home.
OFMIN, in collaboration with Dutch authorities and the French National Police, became aware of graphic and violent child sexual abuse videos being exchanged through Telegram. Investigators were able to ascertain the whereabouts of the young victim by identifying a very unique medical bed seen in the footage. By tracing the sale and shipment history of the bed, police were led to Cottineau.
The crimes of which he is accused are severe enough to receive the classification of “acts of torture and barbarism,” a distinction reserved for brutal sexual abuse.
“I do not wish to go into detail, but for an act of torture or barbarism to be qualified, it is necessary to demonstrate the exceptional violence exercised,” emphasized Renaud Gaudel, public prosecutor of Nantes. If convicted only on charges related to the torture of the disabled girl, Cottineau may face life imprisonment.
“During his police custody, the interested party admitted to being the author of the rape to the damage of this very young child, as well as several sexual assaults,” said Gaudel.
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