France Arrests 55 Men Across 42 Departments in Telegram Paedophile Ring Crackdown

French authorities have arrested 55 men across 42 departments in a major operation targeting a suspected paedophile ring using the Telegram messaging app. The suspects, aged between 25 and 75 and including a priest, paramedic, and music teacher, were accused of possessing, distributing, and regularly viewing child pornography involving children under 10 years old. This extensive crackdown follows a ten-month investigation by OFMIN, an agency focused on preventing violence against minors, involving thousands of undercover exchanges and analysis of illicit images. The operation began last summer with the arrest of individuals suspected of abusing children and sharing content on Telegram. Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris in 2024 and remains under investigation for failing to curb illegal content, facing charges related to extremist and terrorist material. Despite some progress, investigators say Telegram is only minimally complying with legal obligations to prevent such abuses on its platform.