Indian man led neo-Nazi ring, abused minors on Discord, faces life term in France
An Indian man accused of leading a neo-Nazi online network that coerced minor girls into sexual acts and brutal self-harm has gone on trial in Paris, where he could face life imprisonment if convicted. Rohan Rane, 29, allegedly ran CVLT, an online group whose members espoused neo-Nazism, nihilism and paedophilia and targeted vulnerable girls, many of them minors, investigators said.
The victims were allegedly groomed and blackmailed online, including on Discord, into performing sexual acts and harming themselves while recording the abuse. Rane is being tried on charges including torture or acts of barbarity against minors, organised extortion and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, according to reports.
The case emerged in late 2020 after the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received disturbing material involving minor girls, triggering an international investigation. Rane, an Indian national, had moved to France to study at a business school in Antibes in southeastern part of the country, and later worked as a fitness coach, according to AFP.
French investigators said Rane became one of the leaders of CVLT and administered a group on Discord, while members of the wider network operated across several countries.
French newspaper Le Monde reported that the investigation identified dozens of alleged offenders linked to CVLT and around 100 victims across countries including the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands.GIRLS ALLEGEDLY BLACKMAILED ON DISCORD
Rane's alleged victims were mostly vulnerable teenage girls, some as young as 12. According to French outlet Le Parisien, girls aged 12, 14 and 15 were among those identified after being targeted online and subjected to blackmail on Discord. The newspaper reported that investigators encountered videos in which girls were allegedly encouraged to mutilate themselves, choke themselves with a dog leash or drink bleach.
Le Monde reported that the investigation concerning Rane alone identified around 20 victims, mostly American or British, aged between 12 and 18. Investigators alleged that he threatened to circulate nude images to force girls into extreme sexual acts and self-harm, including carving his name or a Nazi Swastika into their skin.
The US Justice Department has separately described CVLT as a group dedicated to the online sexual exploitation of children. It said its leaders hosted servers, controlled membership and directed victims in producing extortion videos and other material. The group espoused "neo-Nazism, nihilism, and paedophilia as its core principles," according to the US DOJ.RANE COULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON; TRIAL BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Rane initially faced a possible 20-year prison sentence in France, according to Le Monde. But proceedings in March 2025 raised the possibility of an additional legal classification β extortion preceded, accompanied or followed by torture or acts of barbarity β which could expose him to life imprisonment.
His lawyer, Irina Kratz, has challenged the addition of the charge. "It's an offence pulled out of a hat that does not hold up legally, with the sole aim of punishing more severely a case that legitimately provokes outrage," Kratz told Le Monde.
The US, meanwhile, has sought Rane's extradition over a case involving an American victim.
The Paris court on Monday ordered the proceedings to be held behind closed doors, despite objections from lawyers representing victims.
AFP reported that five American women, now aged between 18 and 21, have joined the proceedings as civil parties and were expected to testify by video link. The court cited concerns about intimidation of victims and witnesses as well as the graphic material expected to be shown during the trial.
The trial is scheduled to continue until Friday.- Ends(Written by Sushim Mukul)
