Telegram's Durov under investigation in France for act of violence against child: Source

Pavel Durov, the founder and chief of Telegram, who was arrested in France on charges of failing to curb illegal content on the app, is also being investigated on suspicion of "serious acts of violence" against one of his children, a source close to the case said Wednesday.

The probe, opened recently by the French child welfare office, concerns Durov's son, born in 2017, who is now living in Switzerland with his mother having previously been enrolled in a French school. The alleged violence happened in Paris, the source said.

Russian-born Durov, 39, arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday, was to appear in court Wednesday facing possible charges over 12 offences relating to his management of Telegram.

The boy's mother had filed a legal complaint in Switzerland last year, accusing her former partner of violent acts against their son, the source said.