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German man pleads guilty to sexually abusing teenagers

2010-01-05 11:58 BJT

BERLIN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A German man on Monday pleaded guilty to 18 charges of sexually abusing teenagers from 2002 to 2009, according to a report by the German news agency DPA.

The man, 38, met all his five victims, aged 6 to 15, through volunteer work as a gymnastics coach or fireman in villages near a town called Mayen, the prosecutor was quoted as saying at the court.

According to German laws, a criminal defendant's identity cannot be revealed before final conviction and court sentences.

A mother of two twin boys told the court that her children began to suffer the defendant's sexual abuse in 2005, when they were 7. The man abused his own children twice a month for 18 months, till he was reported to the police.

The man said he can't explain why he did that and his first crime was done when he was drunk. He felt quite sorry for the whole thing.

The whole thing was a tragedy, presiding judge Albrecht Keimburg said.

The man's crime was found by the police through the Internet, where he uploaded a video of himself sexually abusing teenagers.

Lawyers at the trial said if convicted, the man will face a long prison term.

Editor: Du Xiaodan | Source: Xinhua