Senegalese police have arrested 14 suspects accused of belonging to a child abuse network allegedly run by a French national.
Authorities said the network sexually exploited children across Senegal, operating quietly for years behind closed doors and hidden financial transfers.
Police identified the alleged ringleader as Pierre Robert, a French citizen arrested in France in April last year.
Investigators believe the criminal network had been active since 2017, targeting vulnerable boys for systematic sexual exploitation.
All 14 suspects arrested in Senegal are nationals accused of child rape, pimping, and deliberately transmitting HIV, police said.
Authorities allege the group forced boys into unprotected sex, often with HIV-positive men, while recording the abuse.
Four suspects reportedly acted as so-called “sex trainers” and admitted committing abuse in exchange for payments from Robert.
Police have not yet determined how many children were victimised, leaving the full scale of the crimes still unclear.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by Senegalese and French authorities, culminating in coordinated raids across multiple locations.
Police carried out searches in Dakar and in Kaolack, a city about 200 kilometres southeast of the capital.
Senegal’s laws impose harsh penalties for child sexual abuse, with prison sentences of up to ten years.
However, rights groups warn enforcement remains weak due to limited resources, staffing shortages, and gaps within the judicial system.