French prosecutors have launched an investigation into the reappearance of a website linked to the crimes of Dominique Pelicot. The original Coco platform, Coco.gg, was an unmoderated site authorities associated with child sexual abuse, drug offenses, rape, and murder. It was shut down in 2024 after over 23,000 criminal activity reports.
Since early April, similarly named websites with near-identical designs to the original Coco have resurfaced. Cocoland.cc, which reportedly denied links to the original site, appeared shut as of April 29th, though another Cocoland-named site remained accessible. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed an investigation into Cocoland for "disseminating violent, pornographic, or offensive messages accessible to minors."
Journalists reported easy access to the site without registration, with users immediately sending explicit content to individuals posing as minors. French child welfare officials called the reappearance a "collective failure in the face of one of the most serious forms of violence: child sexual abuse." The Coco platform gained notoriety during Dominique Pelicot's 2024 trial, where he was convicted of drugging and raping his wife and recruiting others online to do the same. The investigation highlights ongoing concerns about online platforms enabling criminal activity.