The Liège Criminal Court decided on Friday to seek the opinion of a service specialising in the treatment of sex offenders before handing down its verdict in the case of a 22-year-old man charged with possessing and distributing images of sexual assaults on minors.
The defendant, a fan of extreme violence, used the login 'Marc Dutroux' to access the Internet, amassing images of sexual assaults on minors, zoophilia, gang rapes and murder scenes. Using the same login, he also visited paedophile chat sites.
His actions, which began in 2019, were denounced in July 2020 by an American organisation dedicated to the protection of missing or exploited children.
In court, he admitted taking pleasure in watching suffering on the Internet. He also admitted to creating fake Facebook accounts with the aim of sowing discord between users. He said he rejected any romantic relationship, as he was afraid of being a psychopath.
An expert determined that the defendant denied responsibility for his actions and did not seem aware of his deviances or of the prohibitions linked to sexuality.
The public prosecutor requested a one-year prison sentence and a fine.
To assess whether the defendant is fit to submit to any probationary conditions, the court decided to seek the advice of a service specialising in the treatment of sex offenders.
The case will be reviewed on 29 March.
