A 36-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday by the Vienne criminal court to 12 months' imprisonment, suspended, after sexually harassing a 12-year-old girl via Snapchat. The girl was already grieving the loss of her mother. The acts, committed between 2024 and 2025, led the young girl to attempt suicide the day after her father discovered the exchanges; he saved her at the last minute.
The sentence, less than the two-year suspended sentence requested by prosecutor Véronique Stasio, sparked outrage from the civil parties' lawyer. "There is a complete misunderstanding on the part of the justice system regarding the risk these predators pose to young people on social media," denounced Jean Sannier, arguing that the defendant had exploited his psychological vulnerabilities to mitigate his sentence.
A father forced to conduct his own investigation
Placed under enhanced guardianship since 2011, the accused was located thanks to the determination of the victim's father, who himself tracked down the sender of the messages for four months, lacking faith in the speed of the legal process. It was the accidental activation of the suspect's Snapchat geolocation that allowed for his identification, information that was immediately relayed to the police.
At the hearing, the defendant denied any intent, claiming he had not solicited the disputed communications. However, a psychiatric evaluation conducted while he was in police custody concluded that he was fully criminally responsible, without any diagnosed pathology, while also highlighting a proven risk of recidivism.
