Swedish Teacher Accused of Extensive Online Sexual Abuse of Dozens of Children
A 32-year-old substitute teacher in Gävle, Sweden, is facing prosecution following an investigation that uncovered a widespread pattern of online sexual abuse involving 27 girls aged nine to 14. The case began when one of the victims sought help after being subjected to abuse online.
Prosecutors have filed charges against the man for 50 counts of sexual offenses against children, including rape, aggravated sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, child pornography offenses, and sexual assault. The alleged crimes took place between 2020 and 2025.
“The children place a lot of blame on themselves,” said prosecutor Mattias Vilhelmsson. “He pressured them and acted misleadingly to get them to send this material. In some cases, he pretended to be someone else, at least initially. Children are generally very easily deceived, and that is one of the reasons why the age of sexual consent is 15.”
The investigation unfolded after police traced an IP address and gathered information from Snapchat following the initial report. A raid on the suspect’s home led to the seizure of mobile phones and computers, revealing extensive material sent by numerous girls. This led to the identification of 26 additional victims.
The accused was employed as a substitute teacher at a primary school in Gävle during the period of the alleged offenses. According to Vilhelmsson, authorities have not received any reports of concerning behavior from colleagues or former students. “We have received information that he did his job and we have not found anything else in the investigation,” he stated.
All but three of the identified victims reside in Sweden. The remaining three are located in Norway, Denmark, and Ireland.
The prosecution alleges that the man coerced the girls into performing sexual acts through persistent pressure and deception. In some instances, he reportedly misrepresented his identity to initiate contact.
The case highlights the vulnerability of children online and the challenges of investigating and prosecuting such offenses. Authorities continue to analyze digital evidence and are not ruling out the possibility of identifying additional victims.
