Paris authorities have dramatically expanded a long-running sexual abuse investigation by naming a 79-year-old man accused of harming 89 minors between 1967 and 2022, urging unidentified victims and witnesses to step forward. The prosecutor’s appeal underscores the sprawling nature of the alleged crimes and the challenges of piecing together decades-old cases that cross international borders.
Expanded International Case Spurs Public Appeal
French prosecutors revealed that the suspect, identified as Jacques Leveugle, has been formally charged in connection with aggravated rape and sexual assault involving numerous boys aged 13 to 17. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred over more than 55 years in countries including Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, the Philippines, India, Colombia and New Caledonia. Leveugle has been in pretrial detention since April 2025.
Authorities initially uncovered evidence after a relative found a USB drive containing what investigators describe as a detailed 15-volume digital memoir listing encounters with underage victims. Many names and details were incomplete, complicating efforts to locate all those affected, prompting prosecutors to make the suspect’s name public to reach more potential victims.
Hotline Launched to Connect with Survivors
In announcing the appeal, Grenoble prosecutor Étienne Manteaux emphasized the urgency of identifying all who may have been harmed, especially given the suspect’s advanced age and the elapsed time since many incidents occurred. Officials have established a dedicated hotline and are encouraging anyone with information, or who believes they were victimized, to contact investigators.
Prosecutors initially hoped to identify all alleged victims through internal investigative work, but incomplete records on the digital documents made tracing many individuals difficult. The public appeal aims to fill these gaps and help build a more complete picture of the scope of the abuses.
Separate Confessions Trigger Additional Inquiry
In addition to the sexual abuse allegations, the suspect reportedly confessed to causing the deaths of his terminally ill mother and elderly aunt, leading to a parallel inquiry into those incidents. Authorities say these admissions have added another layer of complexity to an already vast and deeply troubling investigation.
The case has drawn comparisons to other high-profile long-term abuse cases in France, where digital evidence played a critical role in uncovering patterns of predatory behavior that went undiscovered for years.
