Trial in Innsbruck

Tyrolean man assaulted Snapchat acquaintance (13)

The first contact was made on a social network.(Bild: CDPiC - stock.adobe.com)

One online contact turned into more and during a meeting a 21-year-old made himself liable to prosecution. The issue at the regional court trial was whether he knew her age.

The man and the 13-year-old girl had met via the social network "Snapchat". "She added me and I therefore thought that she was about the same age as me or about 16 or 17 years old," the man defended himself before Judge Reinhard Santeler and the panel of lay judges.

I made it very clear at the very beginning how old I was.

Das Opfer beim Prozess

Chats over around 1.5 months
The victim, whose testimony was played back on video, gave a different account. "I made it very clear at the beginning how old I am," she explained. However, she did not deny that there had been sexually suggestive chats for around a month and a half afterwards. "I sent him photos of me in my underwear," she admitted.

She reported that she had always received money for this - sometimes one hundred euros per photo. "I collected the money in cash from him in his apartment", she explained. It was there - at the fourth meeting - that the accused assaults took place. "He touched me on my bottom, my breasts and between my legs," she described the situation. Although there was a bra and panties in between, she quickly asked him to "stop that".

Accused: "I only touched her bottom " 
 "I only touched her bottom for about 15 seconds during this fourth meeting," he said. There was no further touching during this meeting or otherwise. However, the panel of lay judges found the girl credible and handed down a four-month conditional prison sentence and a fine of 5400 euros. The convicted man must also pay his victim 1000 euros in partial compensation for pain and suffering. The verdict is already final.