Child porn trial

When a cell phone develops a momentum of its own

The 1145 photos and 92 video files had arrived on his cell phone within 24 hours, the 48-year-old (left) said at the trial in Eisenstadt. "I never asked for them and certainly never asked for them!"(Bild: HS)

Child pornographic material was seized from two men in southern Burgenland. Remarkable excuses were heard at the trial in Eisenstadt, which the judge refused to believe.

The men, who have been living together in southern Burgenland for eleven years, have some similarities: Both are single. Both are in poor health. Both are unemployed. Both have no criminal record. The older man (48), a Slovenian citizen, was the partner of the younger man's mother (29). The woman is deceased.

1239 reasons for a trial
In the fall of 2023, the "father figure" was sent two images with child pornography while chatting on the internet and sent them on. The police took up the investigation and examined the man's cell phone. They found a further 1145 photos and 92 video files - 1239 reasons to put him on trial at Eisenstadt Regional Court.

"Cell phone vibrated for 24 hours"
The 48-year-old admitted to sharing the two pictures. Otherwise, he pleaded "not guilty". He had casually texted back and forth with a stranger on a dating platform for homosexuals. A day later, thousands of photos and the videos in question arrived. "My cell phone vibrated for 24 hours. I hadn't asked him to do that and deleted everything immediately. That took two days." And anyway: "That kind of thing doesn't excite me sexually at all."

No photos seen
418 relevant pictures were seized from the 29-year-old's cell phone. He claims to have unknowingly copied them from the Slovenian's device when setting up the new cell phone. "I didn't even know they were there. I didn't see a single one."

Expert witness is on vacation
Judge Doris Halper-Praunias has technical questions that only the investigating police officer can answer. She is on vacation. "None of this fits together. Someone who is not interested in child pornographic images does not come into possession of 1145," says Ms. Rat before adjourning to July 15.