Who Is Rohan Rane? Indian Man Accused Of Leading Neo-Nazi Child Exploitation Ring On Trial In Paris

An Indian man accused of leading an online neo-Nazi child exploitation ring went on trial behind closed doors in Paris on Monday, facing charges linked to the alleged abuse of underage girls in several countries.

Rohan Sandeep Rane, 29, is accused of leading CVLT, an online group that investigators say promoted neo-Nazism, nihilism and paedophilia. The network allegedly targeted mostly underage girls in the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Estonia, among other countries.

Rane, who came to France to study before working as a fitness coach, was arrested in 2021. He faces charges including torture or acts of barbarity against minors, organised extortion and dissemination of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.

The trial is expected to continue until Friday.

How CVLT Allegedly Targeted Vulnerable Girls

The case came to light in 2020 after the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified online material involving a 12-year-old girl. Investigators subsequently linked the material to CVLT.

According to a US Department of Justice document, members of the group used platforms including Discord and Instagram to identify vulnerable children, obtain intimate images and threaten to distribute them if the victims refused their demands.

Investigators said the group particularly targeted children with previous experiences of sexual abuse or other vulnerabilities. Victims were allegedly subjected to increasingly abusive demands, including self-harm and the production of child sexual abuse material.

The Justice Department described CVLT as an online group whose stated principles included neo-Nazism, nihilism and paedophilia. Its members allegedly used extremist and violent content as part of their efforts to manipulate victims.

French investigators have linked around 20 victims specifically to Rane, while the wider international investigation has identified about 100 victims associated with the network, according to French media reports.

One of the alleged CVLT members, US national Kaleb Merritt, has already pleaded guilty in the United States to participating in the online group and exploiting children.

Why Is Rane's Trial Being Held Behind Closed Doors?

The Paris court ordered the proceedings to be held without the public or media following a request from US authorities.

The court said the group had allegedly attempted to intimidate victims and witnesses and threatened US prosecutors. Videos involving the alleged abuse of victims were also expected to be presented during the proceedings.

Five American women, now aged between 18 and 21, have joined the French case as civil parties and are expected to testify by video link, according to AFP. They were minors when the alleged offences took place.

Rane was arrested in France in 2021 following the international investigation. The case involves alleged offences spanning several countries and has drawn the involvement of law enforcement agencies in the US and Europe.

The French court will now examine the evidence against Rane, including allegations concerning his role in CVLT and the treatment of its alleged victims.