A court in Mons (Hainaut province) has sentenced a legal expert to eight years in prison for sexual offences against a minor.
The convicted man, who was employed at Brussels' French-speaking Labour Court, was appointed as a social judge in September 2019.
He decided to defend himself, claiming the accusations by the victim, his then partner's minor daughter, were false and lacked concrete evidence aside from social media messages.
However, the court found "serious, precise, and consistent evidence pointing to guilt," including computer analyses, witness statements, and expert testimony describing the jurist as a man "driven by immediate needs."
The court also considered apologetic messages he sent to his ex-partner and the victim, requesting not to be imprisoned.
Although the prosecution requested immediate imprisonment, the court did not order his immediate arrest.
The convicted man has 30 days to appeal the verdict.
