The pimping trial of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will reveal the sexual secrets of a man once tipped as a potential challenger to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The 65-year-old economist, whose high-flying career imploded when he was accused of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid in 2011, is back in court over his role at the centre of a prostitution ring.
Once one of the most powerful men in the world, Strauss-Kahn sat in the dock on Monday alongside a colourful cast of characters including luxury hotel managers, a prostitute, police, and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp".
Presiding judge Bernard Lemaire read out the charges against Strauss-Kahn, accused of being at the centre of a vice ring which hired prostitutes for sex parties in Brussels, Paris and Washington.
"You are accused of aiding and abetting the prostitution of seven persons between March 29, 2008 and October 4, 2011, and of hiring and encouraging the prostitution of these same persons," Lemaire said.
Lurid details of group sex and high-end prostitution are likely to emerge in the trial, in which Strauss-Kahn faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 1.5 million euros ($A2.18 million) if convicted.
France was stunned when they saw Strauss-Kahn paraded handcuffed in front of the world's cameras after a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault in May 2011 - a case that was eventually settled in a civil suit.
Investigators probing the "Carlton Affair" - named after one of the swish hotels in Lille where local businessmen and police officials organised sex parties in northern France and Belgium - found some of the prostitutes involved had been hired to participate in soirees attended by Strauss-Kahn.
Prostitution is legal in France but procuring - the legal term for pimping which includes encouraging, benefiting from or organising prostitution - is punishable by a hefty jail term.
The crux of the case against DSK is whether he knew the women were prostitutes and whether he played a role in organising their presence.
DSK admits to being a "libertine" who enjoys orgies but has steadfastly denied knowing the women were paid.
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