A Jehovah’s Witnesses member accused of traveling 1,000 km to rape two teenage girls near Quimper, France.

A man from the Jehovah’s Witnesses community has been accused of traveling 1,000 kilometers to sexually assault two teenage girls near Quimper. The case is set for trial in the Court of Assizes of Finistère from May 11 to 13, 2026. The accused, a 45-year-old man from the Pyrénées-Orientales, was placed in pre-trial detention following his arrest in October 2022.

The alleged victim, a 14-year-old girl, discovered the abuse through her diary. She had met the accused via Snapchat in 2022, where he posed as a 29-year-old named Mathéo. The teenager described having “real intimate relations” with him. Investigators later revealed that the man, who was already known to authorities, had traveled over 1,000 kilometers to meet the girls.

The incident involved two teenage girls. One had come to the accused’s home with alcohol and condoms, accompanied by a friend who stayed to ensure she was not alone. The three spent the evening in a mobile home behind the house. The second girl, who was allegedly forced to drink, recalled being “on her during the night” while her friend pushed her leg to facilitate the encounter. She awoke naked on the floor with bruises.

The accused’s phone messages and a recovered hard drive provided evidence of his behavior. He had discussed sexuality openly with minors, claiming to have had relations with girls of similar or younger ages. Despite his claims of no relationship with minors, the evidence contradicted his assertions.

In 2007, the accused was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual violence against minors. In 2015, he received another conviction for similar offenses. The examining chamber of the Rennes Court of Appeal extended his provisional detention on April 24, 2026, as the case proceeds.

Source: Read the original report (translated from French)