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Norway man admits more daycare sex assaults

NTB/The Local
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
Norway man admits more daycare sex assaults
This photo is for illustration purposes only and does not show either the child or the daycare institution in question. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix

The man charged with raping a four-year-old boy in a Bergen nursery has admitted to additional assaults in other daycare institutions.

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“The accused made statements on five attacks in two nurseries,” police solicitor Eli Valheim told TV2. The children were individually identified and several parents have been told that the police would like to speak with the affected kids. 
 
“Police have questioned one of these children and we hope to have completed all of the question this week,” Valheim said. 
 
In a Tuesday evening press release, police said that only limited information would be released due to the ongoing nature of the investigations. 
 
According to VG, the suspect is a man in his 30s who was born in raised in Eastern Norway. He has been employed in primary schools and daycare institutions throughout his working life. According to Bergen Municipality, he worked in two area nurseries – one private and one public. 
 
 
Cooperating with police
“I don’t want to get into whether we have been in contact with other employers or police districts. For us, the job began on Friday and we are now working on it full-out,” Valheim said. 
 
The man has also reportedly admitted to sharing child pornography online, according to VG. 
 
The suspect was remanded for four weeks on Monday with the first two weeks to be served in isolation. 
 
“He has admitted his guilt [and] is strongly affected by the case and understands its seriousness. He wants to cooperate with the police,” his lawyer, Beate Hamre, told NRK. 
 
The man was arrested on Friday after being charged with raping a four-year-old boy at a public institution in Bergen. The incident allegedly took place two days earlier. 
 
Police confiscated his computer following his arrest and discovered indecent images of children that have been downloaded over a span of years. 
 
In addition to working at daycare institutions and schools, Bergensavisen reported that the man has also been very active in the local sports environment and has coached children as young as ten years old. He was reportedly very well-liked by the children. 
 
Parents shocked
Rolf Knudsen has been appointed as the lawyer to the four-year-old boy’s family. On Tuesday, he accompanied the child to once again speak with police officers. 
 
“It has been, and still is, a huge shock for the parents. A nursery should be a safe place to send one’s child,” Knudsen told Bergens Tidende. 
 
“The parents want peace and quiet and are hope that the situation can calm down as soon as possible. Meanwhile, they have full faith in the police and are assisting the investigation,” he added. 
 
The lawyer told Dagbladet that he has been asked to assist additional children in the case. 
 

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