Man sentenced to more than eight years for offences against minors

A 21-year-old man has received prison sentences totalling more than eight years for crimes against minors, including sexual offences and harassment, Yle reports. The latest sentence, handed down by the Central Finland District Court, is not final.

The court sentenced him to three years and five months in prison in a ruling issued in early September. In December 2025, it sentenced him to five years for similar offences. He has appealed that earlier ruling to the Vaasa Court of Appeal.

Court documents say the man began offending in autumn 2022, when he was 17. His victims were 14. Most of the offences involved sexual abuse online.

In the first case, the court found him guilty of 17 offences, including assault, stalking, unlawful deprivation of liberty, child sexual abuse, and possessing and distributing images depicting a child sexually. The court said his actions were planned and deliberate.

He posed as a girl on Snapchat and persuaded minors to send sexual images and videos. He then threatened to send the material to their schools and relatives, pressuring them to provide more. He also carried out the threats by distributing images to other people.

The two cases involve more than 10 complainants. The man continued contacting one victim while the first court case was ongoing, despite an extended restraining order imposed in June 2025. He also continued offending after receiving the five-year sentence that December.

The latest ruling covers 12 offences, including stalking, aggravated sexual assault, coercion and distributing images depicting a child sexually. The offences took place between December 2025 and February 2026. After the trial, the man was transferred to Kuopio Prison to serve his sentence.

Neither sentence is legally final.