The County Court in Dubrovnik has non-finally sentenced a man to a single prison term of seven years. He was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child under 15 and exploitation of children for pornography, with the abuse lasting for months and taking place via the social network Snapchat.
Threats, Blackmail, and Demands for Explicit Content
According to the verdict, the defendant initiated communication with the girl, aware that he was talking to a child. After she revealed her age, he first asked for her photo, then escalated his demands, asking for pictures in underwear and topless. When he asked for fully nude photos, he began threatening to post them on Instagram and Facebook, send them to her parents, report her to the police, or come to her address in person.
The intimidation and insults bore fruit, and the girl, under pressure, also sent intimate videos. The court characterized the entire case as a serious criminal offense committed knowingly and with direct intent.
Guilty Plea and Aggravating Circumstances
The defendant pleaded guilty at the hearing and expressed remorse, citing difficult family and life circumstances. Nevertheless, the court concluded that this does not diminish the severity of the committed acts. His confession was considered a mitigating circumstance, but on the other side of the scale were numerous aggravating circumstances.
Key among them was that the abuse was carried out over a longer period and the fact that he had previously been finally convicted of similar criminal offenses. The court set a sentence of five years in prison for the first offense, sexual abuse, and three years for the second, exploitation of children for pornography. It then imposed a single sentence of seven years in prison.
In addition to the prison sentence, the convict is obliged to pay all procedural costs, including the lump sum and expert witness fees. The court also noted in the verdict that he will need psychotherapeutic support during his imprisonment.