Rohan Rane on trial in Paris for leading global child exploitation ring

Rohan Sandeep Rane, a 29-year-old Indian national, has begun trial in a Paris court facing charges related to leading a global child exploitation ring known as CVLT. The proceedings have been closed to the public and the press to protect the privacy of the victims, most of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.

Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2021, Rane operated an online group that coerced young women and girls into sexualized acts and self-harm. The investigation originated in the United States, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alerting French authorities in 2021 regarding a network involved in spreading recordings of abuse and sexual violence.

Reports indicate that Rane was residing in Antibes, France, at the time of his arrest. The prosecution describes the group as part of a radicalized, misogynistic online scene that promoted dehumanizing ideologies. Rane faces potential life imprisonment if convicted of the violent and sexual crimes.