Man sentenced to 11 years for decade-long abuse of minors in Jyväskylä

A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by Central Finland District Court for a series of sexual offences against three minors in Jyväskylä between 2015 and 2025, Yle reports.

The court found the man guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, aggravated rape of a child, sexual violation, and sexual harassment. The most severe and prolonged abuse was directed at the first victim, who was of primary school age when the then-30-year-old offender began the assaults. The abuse later escalated to aggravated sexual exploitation and aggravated rape while the victim remained underage.

The man also made illegal threats against the victim, including threats to kill himself, the victim, or the victim’s family when the victim attempted to stop the abuse. He further blamed the victim for the sexual acts and threatened to publicise them.

The court cited multiple aggravating factors, including the method of the crimes, their long duration, and the significant age difference between the offender and the underage victims.

He was ordered to pay a total of €50,000 in compensation to the victims: €44,700 to the first victim, €5,800 to the second, and €800 to the third. An additional €500 was awarded to a fourth person he had threatened with violence. The court also ordered him to cover the victims’ legal costs of over €13,600 and forfeited his mobile phone, used in the offences.

The second victim was 15 when the man committed rape. He later harassed the victim on social media, sending sexual content via Snapchat. The third victim, also a minor, received dozens of sexual images, drawings, and messages from the man on Snapchat despite attempts to block him.

The case was heard behind closed doors to protect the victims’ identities, and Yle has not disclosed the offender’s name. According to Keskisuomalainen, which first reported the case, the man has appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal.