Child sex abuse images found in Belgian serial killer’s cell

A man holds a placard with a picture of Michelle Martin during a march to remember the victims of Belgium's child killer Marc Dutroux, in Brussels, Sunday Aug. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Trigger warning: Some of the content below may be distressing to readers

Belgium has opened an investigation after child sexual abuse images were found in the cell of notorious serial killer Marc Dutroux, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Sentenced in 2004 to life imprisonment, Dutroux was found guilty of kidnapping and raping six girls and young women in 1995-1996, four of whom he murdered.

The discovery dates back to July 2024, when authorities found a stash of pornographic images in his cell -- where he is being held in solitary confinement.

“Investigators seized four envelopes containing images of naked women, some of them young minors,” said the prosecutor of Walloon Brabant, the Belgian province where the Nivelles prison holding Dutroux is located.

According to the weekly magazine Humo, which first reported on the investigation, authorities found some 200 pornographic images, around half of which were child sex abuse material.

Dutroux, now 69, could face new charges over the find, with the probe currently in the hands of an investigating magistrate, said a prosecutor’s statement.

According to Humo, the criminal told his lawyer the images did not belong to him, claiming to be the victim of “harassment” by other inmates who allegedly smuggled the photos into his cell without his knowledge.

Lawyer Bruno Dayez declined to comment.

Dayez took on Dutroux’s case in 2016 and sought to obtain his release in 2021.

The bid was rejected after an expert report in 2020 concluded Dutroux should be considered a criminal highly likely to reoffend.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

Call 911 if you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety.

The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres' website has a comprehensive list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling.

• The Ending Violence Association of Canada‘s website has links to helplines, support services and locations across Canada that offer sexual assault kits.
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society crisis lines: [phone] or [phone] (24/7)
• Toronto Rape Crisis Centre crisis line: [phone] (24/7)
• Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone] (24/7)
• Trans Lifeline: [phone]
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)

Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre for current and former Canadian Armed Forces members: [phone]

• Read about your rights as a victim on the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime website.