Who is Rohit Rane? Indian man jailed for 20 years in France over child abuse network

Indian national Rohit Rane, originally from Pune, Maharashtra, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Paris court on Friday. He was convicted of his alleged involvement in a criminal network called CVLT, which allegedly forced young girls, primarily minors, to engage in sexual acts across the UK, US, and Canada. The victims were recruited through the Discord platform, where they became "slaves" to the group's leaders.

French prosecutors sought a 30-year sentence for Rane, who was described as a "Nazi lover, sadist, and macabre ultra-violence" by the prosecutor. However, the maximum possible sentence for the charges he faced was 20 years. Rane, who was arrested in Antibes, southern France in 2021, showed no reaction when the verdict was announced.

The victims' lawyer, Hippolyte Marquetty, stated that the situation had "extremely damaging consequences for the victims; they have shattered lives." Marquetty added that the victims expect a sentence that matches the severity of the actions and also serves to protect society, preventing Rane from reoffending immediately.