An elderly French man has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of 89 teenagers in a mass abuse case that police allege spans many countries and dates back to the 1960s.
Jacques Leveugle, 79, who is in custody in south-east France, was arrested after his nephew found a USB that allegedly detailed his sexual relations with minors aged 13 to 17, the Grenoble prosecutor, Etienne Manteaux, told a news conference.
In an unusual move, authorities are naming the suspect because out of the 89 assaults, Manteaux said that only around 40 victims had been identified. If victims wish to come forward, now is the time, he added.
Police allege the crimes took place between 1967 and 2022. Throughout much of his life, Leveugle worked as an informal teacher or assistant at holiday camps, the prosecutor said. A timeline released of Leveugle's whereabouts dating back to the 1960s shows his appearance throughout the decades.
Police allege that he could have carried out assaults not only in France, but also Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia, and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. He travelled to these different countries and in each of these places where he settled to provide tutoring and teach, he would meet young people and have sexual relations with them, Manteaux told the news conference on Tuesday.
Leveugle was arrested in 2024 after visiting his brother in the Isère department around Grenoble. At the time, Leveugle was living in Morocco. His brother's son, who had suspicions about his uncle, examined a USB drive that belonged to Leveugle and found disturbing content.
The victims we have spoken to tell us that he spent a lot of time helping them to learn foreign languages, awakening their sense of culture... He has a complex personality, the prosecutor said.
A separate judicial investigation has been opened into the alleged killings of his mother and aunt, as Leveugle admitted to smothering them. The police continue to appeal for more potential victims as they piece together his long and troubling history.
Jacques Leveugle, 79, who is in custody in south-east France, was arrested after his nephew found a USB that allegedly detailed his sexual relations with minors aged 13 to 17, the Grenoble prosecutor, Etienne Manteaux, told a news conference.
In an unusual move, authorities are naming the suspect because out of the 89 assaults, Manteaux said that only around 40 victims had been identified. If victims wish to come forward, now is the time, he added.
Police allege the crimes took place between 1967 and 2022. Throughout much of his life, Leveugle worked as an informal teacher or assistant at holiday camps, the prosecutor said. A timeline released of Leveugle's whereabouts dating back to the 1960s shows his appearance throughout the decades.
Police allege that he could have carried out assaults not only in France, but also Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia, and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. He travelled to these different countries and in each of these places where he settled to provide tutoring and teach, he would meet young people and have sexual relations with them, Manteaux told the news conference on Tuesday.
Leveugle was arrested in 2024 after visiting his brother in the Isère department around Grenoble. At the time, Leveugle was living in Morocco. His brother's son, who had suspicions about his uncle, examined a USB drive that belonged to Leveugle and found disturbing content.
The victims we have spoken to tell us that he spent a lot of time helping them to learn foreign languages, awakening their sense of culture... He has a complex personality, the prosecutor said.
A separate judicial investigation has been opened into the alleged killings of his mother and aunt, as Leveugle admitted to smothering them. The police continue to appeal for more potential victims as they piece together his long and troubling history.
