Swedish court sentences 23 women for possessing child pornography

Swedish court sentences 23 women for possessing child pornography

2011-10-18 23:31:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

STOCKHOLM (BNO NEWS) -- A Swedish district court on Tuesday sentenced nearly two dozen women and one man for possession and distribution of child pornography, local media reported.

The Falu District Court in central Sweden sentenced 43-year-old Lars Skoglund, who is believed to have been the mastermind behind the network, to one year in prison for aggravated child pornography crimes. The women, aged between 38 and 70, received suspended sentences and fines ranging from 2,500 kronor to 18,000 kronor ($375 to $2,691), The Local news website reported.

Skoglund, who was in the possession of 1,181 still shots and 40 films featuring child pornography when arrested, contacted the women via internet chat rooms and gradually convinced them to accept files containing child pornography. According to the court, Skoglund "took advantage of their poor mental states and desire for human contact."

"If Lars Skoglund had not led their conversations onto the subject of child sex, most of these women would probably never have come into contact with child pornography," the court found. The verdict came nearly one year after police conducted raids at several locations across the country, resulting in the arrest of Skoglund and the 23 women.

The case sparked media interest across the country because the large number of women involved, as the majority of people arrested for possessing child pornography are usually male.

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