Finnish man charged with sexual abuse of 361 children online

A 27-year-old man in Finland is facing charges for the sexual abuse of 361 children between 2019 and 2022. The victims were aged between 9 and 15 at the time of the offenses. Finnish authorities discovered thousands of images and videos of children on the suspect’s phone in 2022 during an unrelated criminal investigation. The man allegedly used the social media platform Snapchat to contact the victims, requesting that they send photos or videos of themselves in various states of undress or perform sexual acts. While police initially investigated 364 potential offenses, prosecutors have decided not to pursue charges in three of those cases. The charges include aggravated sexual offenses against children and the distribution of material depicting child sexual abuse. The suspect has partially admitted to the actions during the investigation. The trial is scheduled to commence in September.