Sports judges sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of children – NRK Vestland

– You must also pay compensation to the victims of the case, assistant attorney Tom-Daniel Karlstad tells Nettavisen, who were the ones who first brought up the Bergen District Court verdict.

The 29-year-old soccer referee was charged with twelve counts of various assaults and sexual abuse. Some of them refer to physical contact, but most refer to online abuse.

In total, there are 27 offended in the case. Several of those offended are connected to the football and handball environment in the Bergen area.

– Cunning

During the criminal case, the 29-year-old faced many Snapchat and Facebook conversations. Several of the conversations mix referee sermons and grossly sexualized content.

In the ruling, the district court affirms that men’s approaches to young people have clear common features.

The judges, he thinks, over several offended people played and exploited that they were in vulnerable situations, either because they were victims of bullying, they had few veins or that someone needed guidance as judges.

Later, the 29-year-old told some of those offended that he himself was a victim of bullying and had had a difficult education. This is how the judges think that the 29-year-old managed to generate confidence in the young people.

“Once trust was achieved, the defendant turned the communication into sexual conversation and eventually, in part, the result was that the defendant received nude photos and videos of sexual acts from many of the victims.”

The district court believes this exacerbates the punishment and describes the 29-year-old’s procedure as “cunning and ruthless.”

They may no longer be judgments

In her proceedings at the Bergen District Court, prosecutor Christine Møen Wisløff requested a seven-year prison sentence.

To NRK on Friday, she says that the district court has not yet been allowed to read the basic evidence.

– But he has been convicted for everything except an attempt to have sex, says Møen Wisløff.

He explained that in addition to the prison sentence, the 29-year-old has been deprived of the right to be a judge as well as to have an account on social networks.

For NRK, list from the verdict:

• “The right to hold a position or act as a referee, coach, occupy other positions, positions or membership in sports clubs or associations indefinitely”
• “The right to play other roles in organized and unorganized children’s and youth activities indefinitely”
• “The right to have accounts on social networks, including Facebook, Messenger, Snapchat and Instagram, and any other social network of the same nature, as well as a user account on Skype indefinitely.”
• “To resist the confiscation of Facebook, Messenger, Snapchat and Instagram, as well as a user account on Skype”

– This is a good and complete verdict. We are also satisfied that the compensation is in line with what we are claiming, Beate Hamre tells NRK.

She was the coordinating assistance lawyer for 25 of the victims in the case. Hamre says they have been awarded differentiated sums of between 60,000 and 125,000 crowns.

– This is the first time that I am involved in a case in which the defendant is also denied the right to have an account on social media indefinitely. I think it is a correct assessment given the seriousness of the case, Hamre tells NRK.

Defender Bertil Rønnestad says he will discuss the verdict thoroughly with his client.

– I have informed you of the conclusion. Apart from registering that it is lower than the prosecutor’s claim, I have no further comments.

Sexualized chat

The 29-year-old admitted to several cases of sexual abuse of young children and admitted criminal guilt on ten of the twelve points of the charge.

– I can’t understand how I let this happen. He should have grown up and said he couldn’t be a part of it. Or better yet, do something to never end up in that situation, he said during the trial.

One of the circumstances concerns sexual relations with a minor when the defendant was 23 years old. The man met the boy on a website and established a trusting relationship with him.

They agreed to meet at the home of the accused.

– I am terribly hurt by what has happened, said the man with regret in court.

The 29-year-old had key roles at NFF Hordaland, among other things related to administering judges.

The defendant had participated in judges of rank, where he made suggestions as to whether the judges should be promoted or descended from division.