INFO THE DISPATCH. Toulouse: a professional photographer indicted for rape and sexual assault
A professional photographer based in Toulouse is suspected of violence and sexual assault. Five complaints were against him. He was charged pending further investigation. This man assures us that these accusations are unfounded.
During these “shooting” sessions, some models agreed to undress. They thought that with his talent, F., a professional photographer based in Toulouse, could capture the moment like no one else. But during these behind closed doors supposed to propel a career, at least five young women were quickly disillusioned. They accuse him of sexual assault and rape.
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The facts would occur between 2013 and 2021 but were not stated until the summer of 2020. At that time, one of the models assures that F. abused her during a shoot. And he would have taken advantage of this face-to-face to rape her. In addition to going to the police station, the victim uses social networks to denounce this attack. The message is relayed and then commented on. The photographer who receives anonymous threats files a complaint for defamation. He denies the accusations and asks Facebook to help him trace the source of denunciations, which he considers slanderous.
Dozens of auditions
In the midst of this turmoil, the Toulouse prosecutor’s office opened an investigation. The gendarmes of the community of brigades (COB) of Castanet-Tolosan and those of the research brigade (BR) of the company of Villefranche-de-Lauragais embark on the investigations. The military multiplies the checks and hearings of witnesses.
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Several former collaborators of the photographer are heard, others prefer to remain discreet. “I am not filing a complaint because my family is not informed. I do not want to enter into legal proceedings. I simply want to warn girls and warn them that we never know the individual who is hides behind his camera”, warns one of his models.
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At the end of 2021, the work of the gendarmes made it possible to identify five women. In mid-January, F. was placed in police custody, assisted by his lawyer, Mand Zarrin Bakhch. During his interview, his position remained the same as in the face of the accusations on the Internet. The photographer denied in block. But the prosecution revealed that the case deserved to be dug and the public prosecutor appointed the continuation of the investigation to an investigating judge. While waiting to know the conclusions, F. has been indicted for violence and sexual assault. He is released under judicial control.