Earlier this week it was announced a former Theatre Federation board member was to be convicted of child sex abuse offences, as he was handed a 13-year sentence on Tuesday. However, the conviction was six years in the making.
Over a period of at least a decade, the family man and dedicated professional in Luxembourg's theatre circles not only consumed child sexual abuse material, but produced his own – even targeting two of his daughter's young friends.
This week, he was convicted of indecent assault, sexual exploitation of children, production and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, as well as possession of illegal content.
Investigations were launched following a tip from Europol on 21 August 2019, that 72 files with paedophilic content had been downloaded from the defendant's account on the internet. The images mostly showed naked girls under the age of 10, shown in sexually explicit poses. Some recordings showed minors engaged in sexual acts.
Despite the tip, authorities waited ten months before raiding the suspect's home on 9 July 2020. During the raid, the defendant denied having any sexual interest in minors or possessing illicit images – a claim later disproven by evidence cited in the verdict.
Investigators ultimately uncovered more than 23,000 files depicting child sexual abuse. Among them were approximately 10,000 images and 600 videos showing minors between 1 and 16 years old subjected to rape by adults, sexual acts with other minors, or filming themselves. Additional images included minors aged 3 to 16 posing in bikinis or underwear.
The evidence also revealed 1,500 pictures of the defendant's naked daughter, some of which included his genitalia.
Chat logs and timeline of abuse
Thousands of chat messages reveal the defendant's exchanges with other paedophiles, in which he boasted about his tendencies and shared images of his underage daughter.
The earliest confirmed child sexual abuse material dates back to May 2013, but investigators believe the offences occurred between 2010 and 2020 – up until the day of the raid.
Investigation and trial
From 2020 to 2023, authorities analysed the seized files. The defendant's wife and daughter testified on 23 March 2023, but neither provided further incriminating statements. The mother dismissed some images as "normal family photos". In fact, court records revealed that during certain sexual acts between her and her husband, their child was present nearby, distracted by a phone.
The case was forwarded to the criminal court on 12 June 2024, and the trial took place from 25 to 27 February 2025. The verdict, delivered on 27 March, noted that the defendant had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for three years and had confessed to most charges.
Institutional reactions and systemic concerns
The case came to public attention only after the Theatre Federation issued a statement on Tuesday, expressing shock over its former administrator's crimes and claiming no prior knowledge. The Casemates Theatre's board similarly condemned its ex-member, emphasising that the offences were confined to his private life and unrelated to his cultural work.
On Monday, the Casemates Theatre severed all ties with the defendant and barred him from the premises. The board also criticised the lack of protective measures following Europol's 2019 alert or the 2020 raid – particularly for institutions working with children. In their view, this oversight highlights a failure in Luxembourg's justice system.
