As of: February 9, 2024, 4:45 p.m
By: Isabel Winklbauer
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Thomas Pekny at his trial in 2021. This ended with an acquittal.
© Peter Kneffel / dpa
The ex-director of the Little Comedy at the Bayerischer Hof was convicted in the district court this week for numerous illegal images.
Thomas Pekny, former director and co-owner of the Little Comedy in the Bayerischer Hof, had pornographic images of two- to six-year-old girls in 78 cases, as well as 42 pornographic images of 15- to 16-year-old girls, in the temporary Internet storage (cache) of his Macbook.
Yesterday he was sentenced at the Munich district court: for accessing child and youth pornography content, he received a suspended sentence of eight months in prison, with the requirement that he pay 5,000 euros to the German Child Protection Association by the end of the year.
The verdict was passed in the absence of the defendant - Pekny reported through his lawyers that he was not feeling well.
Judge Cornelia Wölk announced that due to “his current living conditions” there will probably be doubts for a long time as to whether a main hearing is possible.
In the modified penalty order procedure, the public prosecutor's office got its wish, and the lawyers also agreed.
Thomas Pekny was director of the Little Comedy from 2016 to 2021.
© People Picture /Jens Hartmann
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There had already been allegations against Pekny of sexual abuse in the past.
He was acquitted of this in 2021.
Nevertheless, he gave up his position as director, but remained with the Little Comedy as a set designer and shareholder in the operating company.
That's enough of that.
“We are on the verge of his immediate departure from the comedy company,” says René Heinersdorff, Pekny’s successor as director.
He is also no longer active for the house as a set designer - Pekny's trained profession.
“There are sets from previous seasons that we don’t throw away when a play is resumed, but there are no current productions,” says Heinersdorff.
“The rental agreement with the Bayerischer Hof also excludes a permanent or freelance employment relationship with Mr. Pekny.”
His ex-colleague doesn't know how Pekny is doing or how he feels about the verdict.
The director says he hasn't spoken to him for four weeks.
“I think that Mr. Pekny certainly needs time to reflect on what he is accused of, perhaps to undergo therapy, and is currently unable to work.”
Three years ago, several women accused Pekny of abusing them while he was drunk or drugged and of taking videos and photos of them - but this could not be clearly proven.
Hence the acquittal.
In January 2023, Pekny was actually convicted of sexual harassment.
He touched an actress through the holes in her jeans and made a rude comment.
The public prosecutor's office therefore issued a penalty order for 10,000 euros.