According to Helsinki police, they have identified dozens of other minor victims of a 47-year-old serial pedophile.
The suspect already has several convictions for sexual offenses against minors.
The man was arrested in late July on suspicion of eight sexual offenses against minors. After further investigation by the police, the number of suspected victims in the case rose to more than 40.
Suspected crimes include the sexual assault of a child, the purchase of sexual services from a minor, and the possession and dissemination of images of inappropriate children.
Speaking to the BTI News Agency, Inspector Jutta Antikainen said police are aware of a total of 43 victims, all of whom are underage boys. He added that the suspected crimes took place in Helsinki in 2018-2020.
Treated victims online
Police said they believed the man met some of his victims in person as he communicated with others by sending sexual messages and pictures.
He is suspected of treating victims online.
"Children do not usually report to the police themselves that they have been the victim of a crime. Potential new victims are identified by searching for equipment, and the police then investigate whether there are victims under the age of 18 in certain crimes," Antikainen explained.
Antikainen also stressed that the preliminary investigation is still ongoing and many of the victims have not yet been interviewed. It is also still possible that more suspected crimes will emerge.
"The pre-trial investigation is ongoing and the case under investigation is very extensive, so hardly any parties have been identified by the police at this stage," he added.
Previous convictions and prison sentences
In 2013, the Helsinki District Court sentenced the man to ten years and four months in prison for a series of sexual offenses against teenage boys. The case involved 40 victims aged 13–17 from all over Finland.
According to the verdict, the man was found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual abuse of a child and purchase of sexual services from a minor.
Earlier, in 2006, the district court sentenced the man to three and a half years in prison for similar crimes. The Court of Appeal upheld this verdict the following year. In this case, there were about a dozen victims.
Source: The Nordic Page