On Thursday, the Tournai criminal court is set to start a trial for grooming, the act of manipulating a minor to obtain intimate photos from them. A teacher from a college in Comines is accused of using a fake profile on social media to deceive teenagers. Between 2015 and the summer of 2018, the accused contacted 400 teenagers and had sexual exchanges with half of them. The teacher created a fake profile of a real girl, then contacted his own students along with other young boys aged between 14 and 17, and requested intimate photos and videos. The alarm was raised when the parents of a student discovered their son’s virtual chats and filed a complaint. The defendant was swiftly caught thanks to his IP address and linked telephone number, and he now risks being sentenced to prison for charges including rape, as he coerced certain victims to put items in their anus.
This Thursday, a grooming trial opens before the Tournai criminal court. Grooming is a practice that consists of manipulating a minor to extract intimate photos from him.
This is what a teacher from a college in Comines did for more than a year. He had created a fake profile on social networks in order to trap teenagers. Between 2015 and the summer of 2018, this professor contacted 400 teenagers and had sexual exchanges with half of them.
A fake profile of a real girl
The man was actually acting under a fake Facebook profile, with the name and photo of a girl who really exists. He started by contacting one of his students to ask him for intimate photos and videos. He then repeated the scheme with other young boys, most between the ages of 14 and 17. Many are students to whom he taught.
It was the parents of a student who sounded the alarm. They filed a complaint after discovering their son’s virtual chats. The professor was quickly unmasked thanks to the IP address of his computer and the telephone number he had linked to his Facebook account.
Prosecuted for rape
Placed under an electronic bracelet for a year, the now 32-year-old man appears freely in court. Among the preventions, he is prosecuted for rape, because he incited certain victims to put objects in the anus.
He risks being sentenced to prison and having to compensate the many victims.
As the grooming trial begins before the Tournai criminal court, it’s a stark reminder of the danger posed by those who seek to manipulate and exploit minors for their own gratification. The fact that a teacher was found guilty of such heinous crimes only adds to the shock and horror of this case. We can only hope that justice will be served and that this trial serves as a warning to others who might think about committing similar crimes. We must all continue to be vigilant and take responsibility for the safety and protection of young people everywhere.