By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following a French police summons, Isaac Steidl, the 44-year-old founder of the website Coco.fr (later Coco.gg), was arrested. The site, allegedly facilitating over 23,000 crimes including rape, murder, and paedophilia, was registered in Guernsey and hosted in Bulgaria before its closure. Steidl, who reportedly renounced his French citizenship for Italian in 2023, returned to Paris for questioning. His legal team declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
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The arrest of the founder of the chat site used by Gisèle Pelicot’s husband is a significant development in a horrific case. The sheer scale of the crime and the brazen nature of the platform used highlight a disturbing reality of online criminal activity. This wasn’t just some innocuous chat room; it was a meticulously organized hub facilitating the sexual assault of women, providing guides, sharing recordings, and actively recruiting participants.
The outrage expressed online is completely understandable. People are rightfully furious about the actions of the perpetrator, his accomplices, and the platform that enabled them. The call for harsh punishment, from imprisonment to public shaming, reflects the deep-seated disgust at the cruelty involved. It’s also a testament to Gisèle Pelicot’s incredible strength and courage in bringing this case to light. She is being lauded as a hero for her perseverance in the face of unimaginable trauma.
The comments highlight the frustrating inadequacy of the current justice system. Sentences for those involved in the rapes appear far too lenient, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current legal frameworks in dealing with such heinous crimes. The sheer number of men involved – upwards of 70,000 in one associated Telegram group, according to some comments – underscores the significant scale of this problem, extending far beyond the chat site at the center of this particular case.
The fact that the platform actively evaded prosecution by changing owners and domains speaks volumes. It demonstrates a calculated effort to profit from criminal activity, highlighting the need for stricter regulations and greater accountability for online platforms. The seizure of millions of euros from accounts across multiple countries shows the extent of the financial gains made by operating this criminal enterprise.
The comparison to other platforms, like Telegram, Facebook, and even Reddit, highlights a larger concern about the pervasiveness of harmful content online. While the chat site in question was specifically designed to facilitate sexual assault, the comments suggest that similar discussions and activities are present on more mainstream platforms. This raises important questions about the responsibility of social media companies in preventing and addressing such content.
Many question the apparent inability – or unwillingness – of other platforms to prevent the spread of similar materials. The comparison to Telegram’s own struggles with similar issues further emphasizes this concern. The need for stricter monitoring and proactive measures to remove illegal and harmful content is undeniably clear, but the scale of the problem makes it a monumental task. The ease with which such groups can organize and operate across borders further complicates efforts to bring them to justice.
The arrest itself is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. While celebrating this victory, it is critical to remember that it represents only the beginning of holding the perpetrators accountable. The justice system needs to improve in delivering sufficient and appropriately harsh sentences to these individuals. Furthermore, a broader conversation is needed on how to prevent similar platforms from arising and how to combat the spread of harmful content across the wider online ecosystem. It’s not just about taking down one site, but about addressing the systemic issues that enable this type of criminal behavior to flourish.
Gisèle Pelicot’s courage deserves recognition and underscores the vital need for continued vigilance and action to combat online crimes against women. The arrest of the founder of the chat site is a step forward, but the fight is far from over. This case is a stark reminder of the dark underbelly of the internet and the urgent need for proactive measures to protect vulnerable individuals from such heinous acts. The discussion around this case should spur further investigation, reform, and a collective commitment to a safer online environment.