The police are expanding the number of victims in the case where a municipal employee surreptitiously filmed guests at the public library in Kviteseid. Several victims The man was arrested in September, after a hidden camera was found hidden under a changing table in the library’s toilet. The man has been in custody with a letter and visiting ban since then. Initially, the investigators operated with almost twenty victims in the case, but the number has now been adjusted upwards to apply to close to thirty girls. The police have gone through a large amount of seizures, after they raided the man’s home in September. – All the offended girls are under 18 years of age. Most are under 16, says Sigrid Dahl, police station chief in Vest-Telemark to news. The reason why the number of victims in the case has now been adjusted upwards is that not all the videos of the girls were saved under names. It later emerged that there were also films of girls who were not named, but have now been identified by police investigators. The camera the man mounted on the toilet is the size of a coin. Photo: The police – The police have not found any indications that the films were to be shared with others, or that the man should have exposed any of the victims in the case to physical abuse, Dahl says. Affects many in the village The library is used extensively by students at Kviteseid 10-year-old school, which has approx. 200 students. A total of 27 girls between the ages of 13 and 16 attend secondary school. The police do not wish to comment on whether all of the victims in the case are pupils at the school or residents of the municipality. Headmaster Odd-Arne Thorbjørnsen makes no secret of the fact that the case makes a strong impression. Regardless of how many of his students are affected, he finds the matter difficult. Odd-Arne Thorbjørnsen, principal at Kviteseid 10-year-old school. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news – It’s bad. The whole thing is sad. As a school and adults, we must be on the supply side, he assures. The health service in the municipality is ready to assist if needed. – There are probably many thoughts swirling around in the heads of those affected. It’s certainly not a good feeling. Those who need someone to talk to can come to us, says Thorbjørnsen. The school leaves it to the police to contact the victims in the case, but hopes that parents and pupils will contact them if they have any questions. Contact the victims in the case The man will initially be remanded in custody until Thursday this week. It is uncertain whether the police will ask for this to be extended. – The actual investigation of the case is nearing the end, says Dahl. The victims are continuously contacted by the police. It is uncertain how many of the girls will be questioned. – Everyone will be contacted. We create a dialogue, so that they know what is going on, says Dahl. Sigrid Dahl, police station chief in Vest-Telemark to news. Photo: Martin Torstveit / news In the imprisonment order from the Telemark District Court, the man is charged under section 311 of the Criminal Code, which, among other things, deals with “production of sexual abuse against children or production that sexualises children”. Andreas Nyhaug is defending the man. He has no further comments on the new information in the case. Andreas Nyhaug defends the man who is accused of secretly filming a number of people in Kviteseid. Photo: Martin Torstveit / news The man has previously stated that he has had no particular interest in minors. – He says that this is not about a special interest in children, Nyhaug told news following the arrest in September.
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Filmed young girls with a hidden camera at the library in Kviteseid – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
