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Under suspicion: Ex-national player Christoph Metzelder
Photo: Oliver Killig / dpa
In January the Hamburg public prosecutor applied for a penalty warrant against an acquaintance of the former professional footballer Christoph Metzelder.
The spokeswoman for the authorities Nana Frombach confirmed to SPIEGEL.
The acquaintance is said to have received several pictures with child pornographic content from Metzelder - "partly after she had asked him to send the pictures," says Frombach.
The woman is accused of having obtained possession of child pornography.
The woman had refused to discontinue the proceedings in the summer because she was supposed to pay 300 euros.
"She didn't do anything criminal," said her lawyer at the time.
"She received pictures from Mr. Metzelder and promptly sought contact with the police." She "did not want" the pictures.
The public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf has charged Metzelder with allegedly sending 29 child pornographic files to his acquaintance and two other women.
As of September 2019, there are said to have been almost 300 such files on his mobile phone.
When asked by SPIEGEL, the defender of Metzelder did not comment.
The Düsseldorf District Court has not yet admitted the indictment.
It is therefore unclear whether there will be a trial against Metzelder.
Investigation started
The friend from Hamburg had started the investigation against the ex-national player.
According to the investigators' findings, she is said to have received the files from Metzelder via WhatsApp in August 2019.
According to prosecutors, the woman then let a few days pass before the police were informed.
First, she contacted an acquaintance.
As a journalist, he had connections to the police, which the woman apparently knew about.
The journalist immediately informed the Hamburg police that approached the woman.
After the case became known, the police announced that they had received a tip from the "Bild" newspaper.
This reported a situation in which "criminal investigations were to be initiated immediately."
According to the public prosecutor's office, the woman herself has not filed a complaint against Metzelder.
Penal order provides for a fine
Spokeswoman Frombach announced that the woman had not commented on the allegation in her trial.
If the responsible Hamburg-Mitte district court issues the penalty order, the woman can file an objection.
Then it would come to a process in which she could obtain an acquittal.
If she accepts the punishment, the proceedings would be over - but the woman would be in a worse position than if she were refused employment against payment.
Because the procedure would end with a penalty for them.
In addition, the sum would be higher than the amount of money that had previously been offered to her.
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