A Paris court on Friday sentenced Rohan Rane, a 29-year-old Indian national, to 20 years in prison for heading a masculinist group that coerced underage girls into sexual acts and subjected some to torture. Prosecutors had requested a 30-year term, describing Rane as a neo-Nazi adherent obsessed with sadism and macabre violence. The court found him guilty of extortion as part of an organized gang, with aggravating circumstances of torture and barbarity. Most of the dozens of victims identified were American girls, many under 15. Members of the group, which called itself "CVLT," included young men from the United States, India, Germany and New Zealand. Six girls, now aged 18 to 21, filed formal complaints; investigators located about 20 victims, though others could not be contacted. The group emerged on the Discord platform before the Covid-19 pandemic, with Rane having studied in Antibes, France, before becoming a sports coach. Vulnerable girls were targeted in online forums, persuaded to share nude images, and then threatened with exposure to families and peers. According to investigators, many victims were Black or Jewish and were forced to engage in sexual acts or self-harm with knives, including carving names of tormentors or a Nazi swastika into their skin. The perpetrators subjected victims to insults and jeers, referring to themselves as "war lords." One 26-year-old American member has already been imprisoned in the United States for the 2021 rape of a 12-year-old. Rane’s arrest in France occurred in 2021 after U.S. authorities shared intelligence about his leadership in the group and his expressed desire to fulfill sadistic fantasies. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children first flagged the group in 2020 after discovering disturbing images of a 12-year-old girl bearing the name "Rohan" carved into her skin. French court proceedings remained closed at the request of U.S. authorities, despite appeals from some American victims for a public ruling to underscore accountability. Threats were reportedly made against victims, witnesses and even U.S. prosecutors. U.S. officials have indicated they will pursue Rane’s extradition once his French sentence concludes.