FRENCH MAN BENOIS DE GODOS CAUGHT IN DEVON CHILD ABUSE IMAGE SCANDAL

In June 2016, authorities uncovered a disturbing case involving Benois de Godos, a French national who was found to have downloaded and stored illegal images and videos depicting child abuse while staying in Bideford, North Devon. The investigation revealed that de Godos used his girlfriend's internet connection at her residence in Bideford to access peer-to-peer websites hosting such illicit content.

De Godos, aged 40, claimed that his actions were driven by an addiction to pornography. Despite residing in Cannes, France, he traveled to Britain, where he believed it was easier to access and download these disturbing materials. His stay in Bideford was linked to his illicit activities, which ultimately led to his arrest at Gatwick Airport after police identified him through a detailed investigation.

During the search of his belongings, authorities discovered a total of 179 indecent images and movies stored across three portable hard drives. Among these were 68 films that depicted the most severe forms of child abuse, involving children as young as five years old. One particularly disturbing find was a 21-minute-long movie, organized into subfolders with descriptive names indicating the nature of the abuse depicted.

De Godos admitted to three charges of making indecent images. He explained that he had downloaded the material unintentionally while attempting to build a library of pirated mainstream films, which he found more accessible in Britain than in France. His defense argued that his interest in legitimate movies was genuine, and that his access to child abuse images was accidental, though he had viewed the content.

Judge Ian Lawrie, QC, presiding over Exeter Crown Court, sentenced de Godos to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. The judge expressed strong condemnation of his actions, stating, “The images and films were appalling and by downloading them you were contributing to a trade in human misery in which youngsters are exploited for the sexual gratification of people like you.”

Prosecutor Janice Eagles explained that de Godos’ female friend was initially arrested because her IP address was linked to illegal downloads. However, she was later cleared of any wrongdoing, and she informed police that de Godos had been staying at her residence during the relevant period. The investigation confirmed that de Godos was responsible for the illegal downloads, which included highly disturbing content.

Following his sentencing, de Godos stated his intention to return immediately to France, where he is currently receiving private psychotherapy to address his pornography addiction. He also confirmed that he has no plans to return to Britain, especially after his eight-year relationship with the woman in Bideford ended as a consequence of this case.