Probe says Strauss-Kahn knew women at wild parties were paid for sex

PARIS, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn knew women at sex parties he allegedly organized were paid for sex, French investigators said.

A French investigation into an alleged prostitution ring stemming from the Carlton Hotel in Lille reported Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the IMF until he resigned in 2011 following allegations he had sexually assaulted a hotel chambermaid, was aware women were being paid to attend the wild parties, France 24 reported Wednesday.

Investigators said Strauss-Kahn was not merely a participant in the orgies, but was the "kingpin" around whom the parties were organized.

"These soirees were never organised without him, and when they were, it was based on his visit to a city -- Paris, Washington, etc. -- and when his schedule permitted. He controlled the proceedings of the soirees, said the Paris newspaper Le Figaro, which obtained the investigators' report.

Strauss-Kahn and 12 others face pimping charges. If Strauss-Kahn is found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison and more than $1.3 million in fines.