Dominique Boutonnat, head of the French film institute CNC, is sentenced to three years in prison for sexual assault on his godson.
The sentence, which includes two years of probation, will be served with an electronic tag at Boutonnat's home.
The charges were brought after the godson accused his godfather of assault during a vacation trip to Greece in 2020, when the plaintiff was 19.
In court, the film chief denied his guilt and claimed that it was the godson who initiated the situation by kissing him on the mouth.
It doesn't feel good that there is uncertainty in the matter, but to claim that an assault took place is not true, he said.
However, the court deemed the godson's testimony more credible than Boutonnat's.
The case is sensitive for CNC, as one of the institute's tasks is to work to reduce sexual violence in the French film industry.
Following the verdict, Dominique Boutonnat announces that he is leaving his role as head of CNC.
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