A former Norwegian politician, who is accused of filming young boys in the shower and requesting lewd photographs from youngsters in internet chat rooms, may reach a plea bargain with police after admitting some of the charges. Trond Birkedal, formally of the Progress Party (FrP), was asked in a routine interview which charges he would admit to and if he would accept a plea bargain if the Public Prosecutor only tries those cases.
“I can confirm that Mr Birkedal has been asked in an interview about what he can admit to regarding the matter being treated as a plea. And I think this is how the matter will end,” said Birkedal’s lawyer Arvid Sjodin to the Stavanger Aftenblad news agency. “I will not go into details of what he has acknowledged. There will always be nuances. However, if some of what he denies is included in the case, it will not be a matter of a plea,” he added.
Birkedal was indicted for having sexual contact with young boys, and police have identified 13 potential victims. He was first arrested in March after a man told police that he was filmed while showering in the politician’s house.
Birkedal is also accused of posing as a young girl in internet chat rooms and trying to persuade boys to send indecent images to him in return for ones of his ‘female alter-ego’. Police say many of the boys in question were youth members of the FrP.
Police lawyer Karsten Monsen, whose recommendations and investigations will be used to prepare the final indictment against Birkedal, said, “I am writing a proposal to the Public Prosecutor based on what I believe backs the evidence up, regardless of what the defence believes.”