A former director and teacher at a Catholic school in the Morbihan department, Jean-Patern Ars, is currently on trial at the departmental criminal court in Vannes. He is accused of sexual abuse and violence involving 36 children during a language trip and summer camps he oversaw. The trial began this week and is expected to last about a week. Ars faces charges including sexual assault, possession of child pornography, and other offenses. Most of the victims are boys who were between the ages of 6 and 10 when the alleged abuse occurred. The case was uncovered in October 2023 after a language trip the school organized to Cork, Ireland. Some children reportedly told their parents they had been sexually touched by their director during the trip. According to the children's accounts, the director had encouraged them to sleep naked in exchange for candy. He was responsible for supervising several rooms and would check under the beds to ensure they followed his instructions, using the opportunity to touch them sexually on multiple occasions. The investigation found that the director visited the rooms under his supervision every evening between 10:30 PM and midnight while the children were asleep. He was also present during bath times, which he timed. He was arrested the following day and placed under judicial custody on October 11, 2023, after largely admitting to the charges. In the small Breton commune, the revelation of the facts shocked the community. Parents had great trust in him, according to lawyer Julie Oger-Bayere, who represents a young boy and his parents. "He was really appreciated by the children, the parents, and the entire educational team," said Elodie Brault, the lawyer for three victims and their families. "It was also very difficult for the children because they had the impression of denouncing someone they saw as a friend." The case became more serious after investigators found thousands of child pornography images on the accused’s computer, including many photos of children naked and videos taken with his mobile phone in a pool changing room. Some of these images, dating back to 2013 and 2014, showed a 6-year-old child performing oral sex on him, leading to additional charges of rape. As a school director and teacher, Jean-Patern Ars was also heavily involved in the life of his parish, organizing summer camps on bicycles and in the Breton language. During the investigation, new victims were identified, with several children revealing that the animator had entered their tent, lowered their pants, touched them sexually, and photographed them. Supervisors at the school had previously expressed concern about his behavior with children, considering it "too tactile." Some of his students, who received checks, hugs, or "guilis" (a term used to describe affectionate touches or pats) from him, were nicknamed "Gros papa ours" (big bear dad) at his request. However, no one had witnessed any sexual behavior from him before the case came to light. "Fortunately, some children spoke up," said Karine Albanhac, the lawyer for a child who was six years old at the time of the alleged abuse, shocked by the "extent of the sexual abuse" in this case. Before the chamber of instruction at the Rennes Court of Appeal, which extended his pre-trial detention in the spring, Jean-Patern Ars again admitted to most of the charges he is now expected to explain to the families of his victims. "My clients are waiting for answers, but they may not get them," said Brault. The former school director faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.