Wikipedia

Isaac Steidl

Isaac Steidl is a French-born internet entrepreneur best known as the founder and manager of the French-language chat website Coco (coco.fr, later coco.gg), launched in 2003. French authorities shut the site down in June 2024 as part of a criminal investigation led in France. In January 2025, Steidl was arrested in Paris and later charged in connection with alleged offenses linked to the operation of Coco - notably the rapes of Gisèle Pelicot's case; he was placed under judicial supervision with bail set at €100,000.[1] The case is ongoing, and reporting attributes the allegations to prosecutors.[1][2]

Isaac Steidl
NationalityItalian, French (renounced)
Occupation(s)Internet entrepreneur; website operator
Years active2003–present
Known forFounding and managing the chat website coco.gg
Notable workCoco.gg

Early life

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English-language reporting describes Steidl as having been born in southern France; later reporting states he acquired Italian nationality and had been living in Eastern Europe prior to his arrest.[1][3] French outlets describe Steidl as a Var-based entrepreneur; some reporting adds that he later took Italian nationality, renounced his French nationality, and had been living in Eastern Europe prior to his arrest.[4][5].

French authorities reported centralizing 23,051 case files across 71 prosecutors’ offices and identifying more than 480 victims, with more than €5 million seized; the June 2024 takedown was directed by the national anti–organized crime jurisdiction (JUNALCO) with the Gendarmerie’s national cyber unit and coordinated with Eurojust.[6][7]

Coco

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Steidl launched the chat website Coco in 2003. The platform, which allowed anonymous access to chat rooms, later moved from the French ___domain coco.fr to coco.gg, a .gg ccTLD registered in Guernsey.[8][9]

Over several years, French reporting and advocacy groups criticized the site’s lack of moderation; Le Monde described Coco as a “plaque tournante” for illegal activity and noted links to the Mazan rape case and to the homicide of Philippe Coopman, with four suspects interviewed during the June 2024 operation.[10] On 25 June 2024, the Paris prosecutor’s office ordered the platform’s shutdown under the direction of JUNALCO; the operation was carried out by the Gendarmerie’s national cyber unit (UNCyber) and the National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF), with support from the Interior Ministry’s cyber command, and coordinated with Eurojust.[6]

French authorities shut down Coco on 25 June 2024 in a coordinated operation involving multiple European partners; prosecutors stated that the platform had been cited in 23,051 judicial procedures and that more than €5 million had been frozen.[11][1]

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French prosecutors stated that Steidl was placed under formal investigation (mise en examen) on eight counts: complicity in drug trafficking; possession and distribution of child sexual abuse images; corruption of minors via the Internet; aggravated pimping; criminal association (association de malfaiteurs); aggravated money laundering; and administering an online platform to facilitate illicit transactions by an organized gang. He was placed under judicial supervision with a €100,000 bail and barred from leaving France.[12]

According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the alleged facts span 2018–2024. Investigators reported that bank accounts connected to the platform were frozen in Hungary, Lithuania, Germany and the Netherlands, and that more than €5 million was seized during the inquiry.[12]

In July 2024, two site moderators were arrested in Oignies (Pas-de-Calais) and Limoges in connection with the investigation.[12]

On 8–9 January 2025, Steidl was detained for questioning in Paris, and prosecutors announced charges the following day.[3] According to contemporaneous reporting, the charges include administration of an online platform to facilitate illicit transactions by an organised gang, aggravated money laundering, complicity in drug trafficking, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and corruption of minors. He was placed under judicial supervision, prohibited from leaving France, and ordered to post €100,000 in bail.[2][13][14]

Controversies

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French advocacy groups had long called for Coco’s closure, citing homophobic ambushes and risks to minors; organizations including SOS Homophobie and Agir contre la prostitution des enfants publicly welcomed the platform’s shutdown in June 2024.[15][16][17]

English-language reporting has described Coco as an unmoderated forum implicated in serious crimes, citing French prosecutors and victims’ advocates; the shutdown followed years of criticism by child-protection and LGBTQ+ groups and coordination among European partners such as Eurojust.[8][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Willsher, Kim (8 January 2025). "French police arrest founder of website used by Dominique Pelicot". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Founder of adult website linked to mass rape trial in France faces charges". CBS News. CBS Interactive. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b Willsher, Kim (9 January 2025). "France charges founder of website used by Dominique Pelicot". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Qui est Isaac Steidl, le fondateur de Coco.fr, site de rencontre controversé fermé au public?". RMC/BFMTV. NextInteractive. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  5. ^ Cassan, Félicien (9 January 2025). "Il a été mis en examen ce jeudi : qui est Isaac Steidl, cet entrepreneur varois fondateur de la plateforme controversée Coco, utilisée par Dominique Pelicot?". Var-Matin. Groupe Nice-Matin. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Communiqué de presse — Fermeture du site « coco »" (PDF). Tribunal de Paris. Paris: Parquet de Paris. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Fermeture du site Coco.gg : 23 051 procédures étaient engagées contre le site de tchat, connu pour ses contenus illégaux". Le Monde. Groupe Le Monde. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b Robins-Early, Nick (12 October 2024). "The anonymous, anything-goes forum at the heart of the Pelicot rape case". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  9. ^ Paternoster, Tamsin (9 January 2025). "French police arrest founder of website used by ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot". Euronews. Euronews. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Le site coco.gg, plaque tournante de pratiques illégales, fermé sur décision du parquet de Paris ; quatre suspects entendus". Le Monde. Groupe Le Monde. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  11. ^ a b Antoniuk, Daryna (25 June 2024). "French police shut down chat website reviled as 'den of predators'". The Record. Recorded Future News. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Agressions sexuelles et guet-apens homophobes : le fondateur et gérant du site Coco.fr mis en examen". Le Monde. Groupe Le Monde. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  13. ^ "France charges founder of adult website linked to mass rape trial". Le Monde (English edition). Groupe Le Monde. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  14. ^ Cuthbertson, Anthony (9 January 2025). "Founder of website used by Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband charged". The Independent. Independent Digital News & Media. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Coco : face à la multiplication des guet-apens homophobes, SOS Homophobie demande la fermeture du site". BFMTV. NextInteractive. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Pédocriminalité et homophobie : la fermeture du site Coco saluée par les associations". BFMTV. NextInteractive. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Fermeture de Coco : « En parler au passé est un grand plaisir » pour les associations". RMC/BFMTV. NextInteractive. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
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