A well-known French LGBT activist has been charged with sexually and physically abusing a developmentally disabled toddler.

Last year, 32-year-old Pierre-Alain Cottineau obtained approval from Child Welfare Services in France to become a foster parent. Cottineau specifically requested to foster children under the age of 6 and was subsequently matched with a 4-year-old girl who was placed in his care at his home.

In September, the French Office of Minors, a new division tasked with combatting violence against children, was made aware of child sexual abuse videos circulating on Telegram that were believed to have originated in France. Investigators were ultimately able to identify the identity of the child. When police arrived at Cottineau’s home, they found he had left for vacation and the child was hospitalized. 

When Cottineau returned from his vacation in Tunisia, he was arrested at Nanes Airport.

Upon being investigated by law enforcement, Cottineau admitted he was a pedophile and to sexually and physically abusing the child. He also admitted to circulating the footage through pedophile networks. He has since been indicted for rape, torture, and barbarism. If convicted, Cottineau faces life imprisonment. Authorities are currently investigating if there are more victims who are not yet known.

Cottineau is a prominent LGBT activist in the Loire-Atlantique region of France. According to a report by Reedux, In 2021 he ran for departmental elections with the left-wing party La France Insoumise, which enforces a “zero-tolerance” policy on anti-LGBT remarks among its members. In 2018, Cottineau was elected president of The Rainbow Shelter, where he organized the community’s first forum to combat homophobia and transphobia.

Additionally, Cottineau works as a professional caregiver and family aide, which may have contributed to his approval to adopt a child. He has founded multiple organizations, including Oudon Solidarity and the Mutual Aid Collective, as well as the LGBTQI+ Association of Ancenis (EsAc).

In a previous interview with Franceblue, Cottineau identified as a member of the LGBT community, saying, "We suffer from invisibility. This walk is there to make people understand that LGBTQI+ people also exist in the [French] countryside."