A shocking case being heard in Vienna on Wednesday shows how dangerous the online environment can be for children. A 33-year-old Viennese man persuaded an eight-year-old to send him numerous intimate photos and videos. What the defendant says in court is disgusting. Surprisingly, the academic came to his trial on bail. Ultimately, however, an unconditional prison sentence followed.
It is difficult to stomach what will be heard in the Vienna Regional Court on Wednesday. In room 201, a 33-year-old academic takes a seat before the judge. The man confessed. In May, he spent 10 days chatting with an eight-year-old girl in Vienna: “She added me on SnapChat,” he says. He posed as 19-year-old ‘Sam’ and the child quickly told him her real age. That didn’t stop the man from letting the eight-year-old send him photos and videos of sexual acts. He also sent her photos and videos.
Brother noticed the chats
The primary school student and the 33-year-old exchanged several hundred messages in May 2024. Because the older brother noticed this, the man was exposed. The mother immediately called the police. Incredibly, the perpetrator of the abuse has not been arrested. He was not taken into custody.
The Viennese admits guilt in court, but what he says has nothing to do with an admission of guilt. “I felt sorry for her, she was lonely and often alone at home for hours,” he claims and also says: “It was her own fault. She sent me such things voluntarily. So 50:50.”
Perpetrator becomes entangled in contradictions
The faces in the room freeze. The defendant becomes entangled in contradictions. On the one hand, he claims to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol and also to have heard voices. On the other hand, he remembers in detail the messages that did not involve sexual acts. “I have no problem, I am not sick. I like women who are my age or older.” – The judge in question contradicts this: “You are confusing an eight-year-old with an adult. That’s called pedophilia.”
Two years and four months in prison
The public is excluded from the evidentiary process. The jury’s verdict was quickly reached: 28 months in prison! “They actively sought to build relationships with the girl. “It is absolutely not something that came from her!” explains judge Danja Petschniker.
Unconditional detention is necessary for general preventive reasons. While in custody, the man has time to reflect on his crime. “We all don’t have a good impression of them here,” said Mrs. Rat, “I think they feel sorry for themselves the most.” The suspect accepts the verdict and will soon receive a letter about his start in prison. He must pay the child 5,000 euros in compensation.
Source: Krone
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