Swedish man sentenced for running porn network that preyed on over 4,000 Thai women, children
March 29, 2023
A 23-year-old Swedish man who ran a criminal network selling pornographic images and films of over 4,000 young girls and women in Thailand has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
The unidentified man from Stockholm was arrested in January 2022 following a joint investigation between Swedish and Thai authorities. He was reportedly charged with serious child pornography offenses and illegal invasion of privacy.
According to Swedish police, the victims, who were mostly 13 to 17 years old, said they were contacted by men who offered money for explicit content.
The victims, who had sent nude photos and videos of themselves, were never paid.
The sent materials, which consists of nearly 75,000 images and 20,000 videos, were instead resold without the girls’ knowledge or approval. The Swedish man sold the pornographic content to closed groups, which reportedly had between 20,000 and 30,000 paying members, on the Russian social media platform VK.
Before his conviction, the man had collected over 2 million Swedish kroner (approximately $192,000).
According to prosecutor Anneli Tirud Wallin, the accused had caused “great damage.”
They did not know that they were recorded and that the content was then sold and distributed. In several cases, information about the victims has been shared. Information such as which school they attend along with their profile picture on Facebook or Instagram.
Henrik Olsson Liljia, the 23-year-old’s lawyer, said the man admitted to some of the charges and denied others.
Thai police reported the case years ago, revealing several people who paid for the explicit material. They have reportedly been arrested and sentenced.
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