France, Sept. 1 -- A French ex-policeman is in the dock this week, accused of exploiting his position in child protection to prey on vulnerable youngsters in the Philippines.

A former officer with Marseille's police child protection unit will go on trial on Monday, accused of raping and sexually abusing Filipino street children.

The 46-year-old, who has already spent four years in custody, was arrested after the head of a youth shelter reported concerns.

A 17-year-old resident, herself a rape survivor, had allegedly been receiving inappropriate late-night messages from the officer assigned to her case.

Marseille prosecutors launched an inquiry that led to a raid on the man's home in June 2021, where thousands of child abuse images wer...