Thousands of videos and images of unidentified children were found on the man’s mobile in 2022 after police searched his phone in connection with an unrelated case
A man is facing trial in Finland accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children aged nine to 15 using Snapchat.
Thousands of videos and images of unidentified children were found on the man’s mobile in 2022 after police searched his phone in connection with an unrelated case.
The find was made last December and the man – who has not been identified publicly – was arrested immediately and placed in custody.
He was due to start his trial today (September 7) charged with carrying out various sexual offences on 361 children between 2019 and 2022.
A public presentation of the case was due to take place at the Pirkanmaa district court, with the rest of the trial expected to happen behind closed doors. Prosecutors believe the trial will last until the end of the year.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, the victims were all young boys living across the country with the accused a 27-year-old man, also from Finland.
The National Prosecution Authority then said in June that prosecutors had decided not to press charges in three of the cases but the man would face hundreds of others after “thousands of videos and images of unidentified children” were found on the man’s mobile phone in 2022.
Police claim the man allegedly contacted the children via Snapchat, asking them to take and send him photos or videos of themselves wearing very little clothing or naked, and going on to ask them to perform sexual acts.
The main charges against him were aggravated sexual abuse of children, sexual abuse of children and aggravated distribution of an image depicting children in a sexual manner, the prosecutor told the AFP news agency ahead of the trial.
The man partly admitted to the offences during the investigation and will face sentencing for those that he has admitted once the court has decided his fate with the other charges.
Police have said the case is one of the largest in Europe.
The case is ongoing.