In a recent trial relating to child sexual exploitation through social media, the Hamburg public prosecutor's office demanded an eight-year prison sentence for the accused. Despite the defense's plea for a lighter sentence, the court will announce its verdict on Monday by the Grand Criminal Chamber at the regional court.
The 23-year-old is accused of posing as a 13-year-old girl named "Zoey" and persuading underage girls to share explicit photos of themselves. He was charged with 41 criminal offenses, including the sexual abuse of children without physical contact and the production of child pornography. Over a period of seven months, he successfully tricked nine to 13-year-olds into believing he was an approximately 13-year-old lesbian girl, eventually obtaining at least 193 child pornography image and video files.
The production of child pornography through persuading minors to share nude photos was one of the several offenses accused. Despite the defendant's attempts to lighten his sentence, the Hamburg public prosecutor's office advocated for the eight-year imprisonment given the implications of child exploitation and the criminal nature of the actions.
In Germany, persuading minors to share nude photos is a severe offense under the country's child pornography laws. Child pornography includes any material that depicts children under 14 in a sexual manner, as well as any material that reproduces children in an unnatural sexual pose or shows their genitalia or buttocks in a sexually provocative manner. Possession or distribution of such material is heavily penalized, and the sharing of explicit photos or videos, even if consented to by the person depicted, can result in criminal charges and legal consequences, including imprisonment and a permanent record.
Although the focus for juvenile offenders is often on rehabilitation and education, the German authorities take such crimes very seriously. The specific sentence depends on the severity of the case and the age of the individuals involved.
