Serious cases of child abuse uncovered

Created: 2022-01-26Updated: 2022-01-26 2:47 p.m

A sign reading 'Police' hangs at a police headquarters.

© Roland Weihrauch/dpa/Symbolbild

The investigators came across terrible crimes through conspicuous chats: In Wuppertal, a 22-year-old is said to have sexually abused several children severely for years.

He is said to have shared recordings with others – around 100 people are being investigated.

Wuppertal - A 22-year-old from Wuppertal is suspected of having severely sexually abused a total of four children over a period of several years.

As the public prosecutor announced on Wednesday, they have already brought charges against the man before the youth chamber of the regional court.

According to the investigation, the accused is said to have repeatedly sexually abused a girl and three boys as a teenager between 2016 and 2021, took photos and videos of them and also distributed them. At the beginning of the abuse acts, the youngest victim was five months old, a boy only a year, a four and a twelve years old, reported a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office. They came from his family and private environment, but are not biological children. The man is accused of a double-digit number of acts of abuse.

The evaluation of the material seized would have resulted in indications of proceedings against around 100 people from various cities across Germany who are said to have procured the child pornographic material. Gradually, the separate procedures are to be handed over to the respective local authorities. Connections to the large abuse complexes in Lügde, Münster and Bergisch-Gladbach that have been uncovered in North Rhine-Westphalia in recent years have not yet been established.

The investigators came across the man through conspicuous chats.

According to earlier investigators, the tip came from the operator of a chat portal in which the suspect is said to have distributed pictures and videos of the crime.

Officials then searched his apartment and secured several data carriers, the public prosecutor announced in April.

In the course of the extensive investigations that followed, the police officers came across an alleged accomplice: A 44-year-old is also accused who was in contact with the 22-year-old and is said to have severely abused a one-year-old boy several times.

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While the 44-year-old has been in custody since June 4, 2021, the 22-year-old has been placed in a psychiatric facility because he may only have reduced criminal responsibility, it said.

He had already been arrested on April 12, 2021.

Both suspects face long prison terms if convicted, prosecutors said in a statement.

dpa