Mayor of Chalonnes-sur-Loire convicted for child pornography

Laurent Froger, the 63‑year‑old mayor of Chalonnes‑sur‑Loire in Maine‑et‑Loire, was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison, with 30 months suspended. He was taken into custody for an immediate six‑month term, placed under a three‑year socio‑judicial monitoring programme, ordered to undergo treatment and entered into the sexual‑offender registry.

Investigators recovered roughly 4,500 child‑sexual‑abuse images and videos on the mayor’s devices, linking the offences to a broader investigation that began in early 2024. The court noted the offences spanned from January 2024 until his arrest in March. During the trial, Froger claimed he was seeking intimate relationships with other men and denied deriving sexual pleasure from the material.

The case was handled by the Angers prosecutor’s office and the Caen research section, which identified Froger as a recipient of the illicit files exchanged via Telegram. The municipality, home to about 7,000 residents, will now be led by an interim administration.