The Lublin district prosecutor’s office announced Thursday that Polish authorities have arrested a man in connection with an alleged rape of an “unknown victim” that was recorded and shared online.
The arrests followed an undercover investigation by CNN into an online network of men teaching each other how to drug and rape their partners.
Polish media identified the arrested man as “Piotr,” the pseudonym given to the Polish man at the center of CNN’s investigation.
Marek Gyici, a spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office, did not name the suspect, but confirmed to CNN that a person had been detained on suspicion of rape and was “detained for three months.”
The man was charged with an offense under Article 197 of the Polish Penal Code, which includes “aggravated rape when the victim is weak or unable to resist.”
Prosecutors said the man had “admitted to the charges,” but provided no information about further proceedings.
Prosecutors said in a statement that if convicted, the man could be sentenced to three to 20 years in prison.
As part of the investigation, CNN journalists Saskia Vandoorne and Niamh Kennedy created undercover profiles on pornographic websites and group chats where some users shared videos of sex acts being performed on women who appeared to be unconscious.
Piotr was one of about 1,000 users found in a private Telegram group dedicated to sharing advice about partner drug use and rape.
He allegedly exchanged messages with a secret person in Vandoorne and shared intimate images of his wife without her consent. CNN traveled to the Polish town to confirm the man’s identity.
CNN contacted Polish police last month regarding the findings of the investigation.
