Danish police charge more than 1 000 for distributing underage sex video
Danish police arrested more than 1 000 people for distributing sexually explicit video material featuring two 15-year-olds.
In the biggest case of its kind to hit the principality of Denmark, Danish police arrested more than 1 000 people for distributing sexually explicit video material featuring two 15-year-olds.
Danish National Police on Monday explained that 1 004 people were arrested as the distribution of the video could fall under distribution of child pornography.
Police Inspector Lau Thygesen described the case as being “very large and complex”.
Those arrested range in age from 15 years to people in their 20s, police superintendent for Denmark’s National Crime Centre, Flemming Kjaerside, said. Around 800 of those arrested were male.
The hardline taken by police against those distributing the video of the teens comes in the wake of increased calls for legal action against revenge porn and distribution of private material. Last year, young women shared their stories with local newspapers detailing how their lives were destroyed after photos and videos – intended only for their partners – were made public.
There has also been a shift in tolerance towards such acts as movements like the #MeToo movement gains traction.
“We want to give out a warning to young people: think about what you’re doing,” Kjaerside explained.
“Don’t ever share sex videos. It can have consequences for the victims and also for those distributing. We really hope that it is an eye-opener for young people, that they should be careful in the digital world about what you should do,” he added.
The arrests came as a result of Facebook alerting United States authorities that two explicit video clips, as well as a photograph of the young couple, were being distributed on its chat platform, Messenger, last year. US authorities alerted European police, who in turn, brought in the Danish police.
Danish police explained that while most of those charged only distributed the material a few times, others shared it several hundred times.
The consequences of conviction are rather dire, ranging from prison sentences to being excluded from certain professions such as childcare, as well as facing immigration restrictions to the United States.
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