The owner of the porn site "Jacquie et Michel" indicted for complicity in rape

Europe 1 with AFP 06:52, June 18, 2022

In an investigation into suspicions of excesses in amateur porn, the owner of the pornographic site "Jacquie et Michel" was indicted on Friday in particular for complicity in rape and placed under judicial supervision.

Arrested on Tuesday with his wife and three other men, Michel Piron, 64, was indicted after 72 hours in police custody for complicity in rape and human trafficking in an organized gang.

He was placed under judicial control and was therefore able to come out free from the court, while the prosecution had requested his placement in pre-trial detention, AFP noted during a public hearing before the judge of freedoms and detention (JLD ).

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A former actor and two former directors also indicted

The other three men - a former actor and two former directors - have also been indicted in this case, for rape, complicity in rape, pimping in an organized gang and human trafficking in an organized gang.

One of them is also prosecuted for complicity in rape with an act of torture and barbarism.

He was remanded in custody.

The wife of Michel Piron, Araceli, was placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness and therefore emerged free Friday from the Paris court.

In a press release, Me Nicolas Cellupica, lawyer for the Arès group, chaired by Michel Piron and owner of the pornographic site, said that Michel Piron was accused of “disputed facts – concerning a single complainant, in 2013”.

Michel Piron leaves the group during the procedure

"The pimping offense was not held against him," he adds, announcing also that Michel Piron had decided to leave the group for the duration of this procedure.

"The Jacquie et Michel group acquires and distributes thousands of videos a year made by independent producers and deeply regrets that 7 contentious scenes have been shot among them, over the last 20 years", he underlines.

Before the JLD, the representative of the public prosecutor described a "system of pimping and trafficking in human beings", with "demolished women".

"We lead them into a trap," she said, denouncing a "modus operandi that traps victims in this system".

Defense lawyers for their part castigated "two years of proceedings" during which "no act of investigation" had taken place according to them.

"The vision of the public prosecutor is to say that porn is only a form of violence", launched one of the lawyers.

"Out of 7,000 women (filmed, editor's note), there are seven complainants", underlined Me Yves Levano, lawyer for Michel Piron.

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Testimonials from actresses forced into painful sexual practices

In July 2020, the prosecution opened an investigation entrusted to the Paris judicial police, after a report sent by Dare feminism, the Effronté-es and the movement of the Nest.

These three associations relayed the testimonies of several actresses who claimed to have been forced into “‘unconventional and painful’ sexual practices” when they were not consenting.

This report followed the broadcast in February by the Konbini site of a video entitled "the sordid backstage of amateur porn", in which two women testified to these practices.

In a book-investigation entitled "Judy, Lola, Sofia and me" (Ed. Goutte d'Or, 2018), journalist Robin d'Angelo recounted his infiltration into the amateur porn industry and denounced the recurring absence of consent and non-compliance with labor law.

At least 12 people prosecuted in this case

The group, founded in 1999 and which announced a turnover of 15 million euros in 2016, according to the journalist, based its success on the purchase of amateur videos at low prices in France, before gradually professionalizing its production to come to compete with Dorcel among the leaders of the pornographic industry.

Another survey conducted in Paris since 2020 has greatly shaken up the world of French amateur porn by targeting the practices of the "French Bukkake" platform.

At least 12 people, including the producers nicknamed "Pascal OP" and "Mat Hadix", are being prosecuted in this case, exceptional in its scope and open for aggravated human trafficking, gang rape or aggravated pimping.

Since then, investigators have identified dozens of victims.