Prosecutors in France have charged Isaac Steidl, founder of the now-defunct website Coco.fr, in connection with facilitating illegal activities, including crimes linked to the horrific case of Gisèle Pelicot.
Gisèle’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, used the site to recruit over 80 men to rape her while she was unconscious, over nearly a decade. Last month, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Steidl, 44, who launched Coco.fr as a dating site in 2003, returned to France from eastern Europe for police questioning. Authorities shut down Coco.fr in June 2024 after linking it to over 23,000 criminal cases, including paedophilia, prostitution, narcotics, and even homicides.
Prosecutors allege the site enabled crimes like the Pelicot case and a murder involving a 22-year-old man. Steidl faces up to 10 years in prison and €500,000 in fines if convicted. Over €5 million in related funds have been seized.