In June 1875, a police sting operation in Paris discovered that Buguet's photographic plates had pre-exposed images on them.

[2][6] According to the magician Harry Houdini, the police discovered figures and doll heads at Buguet's studio.

Houdini noted that although Buguet was exposed as a fraud and he had confessed, some spiritualists still insisted his spirit photographs were genuine.

[2] The English medium Stainton Moses had supported Buguet in an article for Human Nature in May 1875.

[8][9] The case has been cited by researchers as an example of spiritualists willing to believe and refusing to accept evidence of fraud.