Stepfather in Yekaterinburg faces 18 years for sexually abusing child

In Yekaterinburg, the trial in a criminal case concerning the sexual abuse of a minor is concluding. The prosecutor has requested an 18-year prison sentence for the accused, a former participant in the special military operation (SMO). The investigation was launched following a statement from the boy«s mother.

Twelve-year-old Dima (name changed) is a member of the Sverdlovsk Region«s adaptive sport team. His coaches, who noticed changes in his behavior — he became withdrawn and lost motivation — advised him to see a psychologist. During the sessions, the boy told the specialist that he had been subjected to sexual abuse by his stepfather and had also been forced, together with his sister, to watch pornographic materials.

By the time the information came to light, the man was no longer living with the family. During a search of his residence, police found numerous sex toys, women«s clothing items, and wigs, among other things. The man is a former contract soldier who was discharged after being wounded. The investigation has qualified his actions under Part 4 of Article 132 of the Russian Criminal Code (violent acts of a sexual nature against a minor) and established at least four episodes of the crime.

The trial was held in closed session. The defendant did not admit guilt for the abuse, claiming he had shown pornography to the children only for «educational and upbringing purposes». The defense moved to have the case returned to the prosecutor.

Lawyer Sergey Teterin, who represented the victim«s interests, said: »The state prosecutor, and I, as the representative of the victims, believe that his guilt has been objectively established and proven.« He also cited a shocking verbatim quote from the accused»s statement that had disturbed him: «I treated the boy like my own son. When I played with him, it happened that I bit him on the a** during play.» According to the lawyer, the child was about ten years old at the time of these actions.

A verdict in the case is expected soon.