The trial of the septuagenarian from Nice began on Monday in Montpellier. Three women have filed complaints for surprise rape. He pretended to be a handsome interior designer working in Monaco to lure his victims on a dating site.
The accused was unmasked in 2014 when a third victim filed a complaint. He was then 67 years old. His fake profile of Anthony Laroche, however, indicated that he was 37 years old, using a photo of an American model.
The Unfolding of the Manipulation
Two plaintiffs are present in court, fearing the confrontation with Jack Sion. One of them believed in a great love, when they regularly talked “for hours,” and he told her she was “the woman of his life.” She was suspicious but he managed to reassure her.
He refused her a traditional meeting but wanted a first encounter “magical like their relationship”. When he invited her to his home in Nice after three months of discussion, he wanted to replicate the scenario of 50 Shades of Grey. She arrived in the dark, and he asked her to “undress, put the blindfold over her eyes, and join him in the bedroom”. She could only hear his voice without seeing him. He then tied her hands. The then 33-year-old woman realized she had been deceived, discovering his shadow after their brutal sexual encounter, during which she was forbidden to touch him.
The Investigation
During the investigation, the retiree claimed the relationships were consensual and is currently pleading “not guilty”. He appears free at the hearing.
The suspect recorded 350 names of women (including 150 from the Alpes Maritimes) with whom he came into contact, in a notebook the police found at his home. 200 digital files were also discovered, containing the names of women and intimate photographs.
The former advertiser chose to be judged by professional magistrates of the Criminal Court, a new jurisdiction of the Assize Court. The Court of Cassation has already upheld the charge of “surprise rape”.
The man had already been heard for similar acts and was convicted of tax fraud in 2003. He married and divorced three times after infidelities.
Psychological Profile
The psychologist identified the profile of a “forger with narcissistic traits, addictive Don Juanism, and a compulsive seductive dimension”. The psychiatrist, for his part, described “notable perverse behavior”.
