French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the reappearance of the Coco website, a French-language platform previously linked to crimes including the sexual abuse of children, rape, and murder, according to multiple news outlets. The Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed to the BBC and AFP that it had opened an investigation into the site's return, which is now operating under the name Cocoland.

Lead

The original Coco platform was shut down in June 2024 after French authorities linked it to a wide range of serious crimes. Its notoriety grew during the trial of Dominique Pelicot, who used the website's chatrooms to recruit dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife, Gisèle Pelicot, between 2011 and 2020. Pelicot was sentenced in 2024 to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape. The new investigation concerns websites that have reappeared in recent weeks with a nearly identical design to the original platform.

According to the Paris public prosecutor's office, the investigation into the new Cocoland site was opened for "disseminating violent, pornographic, or offensive messages accessible to minors," as reported by the BBC. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, raised the alarm in mid-April, telling broadcaster RMC: "The reopening of the Coco site is a real slap in the face to the promises of protection we've made." She added that such websites "exploit every loophole – they seek out prey, and that prey is children," and pledged: "We will track them down, we will hound them, we will give them no respite."

Coverage comparison

BBC, France 24, and RFI all reported the investigation, with each outlet emphasizing the gravity of the crimes linked to the platform. The three reports agree on the central facts: the original Coco website was shut in June 2024, its founder Isaac Steidl was charged in January 2025, and the Paris prosecutor's office has now opened an investigation into the new site.

RFI provided the most detailed statistical data, citing the Paris prosecutor's office as saying that between 1 January 2021 and 7 May 2024, no fewer than 23,051 legal proceedings related to the Coco platform were initiated. The same report noted that 70 prosecutors' offices across the country had forwarded cases involving the site, affecting 480 victims. The BBC, in a separate account, said the original site was "cited in more than 23,000 reports of criminal activity," also attributing the figure to the Paris prosecutor's office.

The BBC additionally reported a detail not included in the other outlets' accounts: French outlet BFM said its journalists were able to sign into the new website in seconds without any registration or checks. Posing as a 13-year-old girl, the journalists were immediately contacted by users who persisted in sending lewd photos and sexually explicit messages, even after they were made aware that the girl was underage. That report has not been independently confirmed by the other outlets in this survey.

The BBC also reported that the owners of a site called Cocoland.cc issued a statement earlier this month denying any links with the original Coco website. According to the BBC, Cocoland.cc appeared to be shut as of 29 April, while another Cocoland-named website was still accessible that morning. France 24 and RFI reported that the site was still accessible under the name Cocoland on Tuesday, without specifying whether that referred to the same domain.

Key claims

  • French prosecutors launched an investigation into the reappearance of the Coco website, now operating under the name Cocoland, according to the Paris public prosecutor's office as reported by BBC, France 24, and RFI.
  • The original Coco platform was shut down in June 2024, as reported by all three outlets.
  • Isaac Steidl, the founder and manager of the Coco website, was charged in January 2025 with complicity in drug trafficking, possession and distribution of child pornography, corruption of a minor via the internet, and criminal conspiracy, according to all three outlets. He denies the charges.
  • French police initiated 23,051 legal proceedings related to the Coco platform between 2021 and 2024, and 70 prosecutors' offices forwarded cases involving the site affecting 480 victims, according to RFI, citing the Paris prosecutor's office.
  • Journalists from BFM were able to sign into the website in seconds without registration and were contacted by users who sent explicit messages even after being told they were communicating with a 13-year-old girl, as reported by the BBC, citing BFM. This claim has not been reported by the other outlets.
  • The owners of Cocoland.cc denied any links with the original Coco website, according to the BBC.

Perspectives

French authorities have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and have signaled their determination to pursue those responsible. The Paris prosecutor's office opened the probe into the new site after the high commissioner for childhood raised the alarm in mid-April. Sarah El Haïry framed the reappearance as a failure of protection and a challenge to authorities' promises to safeguard children.

Isaac Steidl's defense maintains his innocence. His lawyer, Julien Zanatta, said Steidl had "nothing to do" with the new websites, and the founder denies the charges related to the original platform. The owners of Cocoland.cc also denied any connection to the original Coco site, although no named spokesperson has been identified in the reports.

The reappearance of the platform has drawn particular concern because of its history: beyond the Pelicot case, authorities say it was used in crimes involving sexual abuse of children, drug trafficking, and murder. The new Cocoland design closely mirrors the original, raising questions among child protection advocates about whether sufficient checks and enforcement mechanisms are in place to prevent such sites from resurfacing.