A man accused of sexually abusing 361 children through social media platforms, including Snapchat, is due to go on trial in Finland on Monday, in one of the country’s largest child sexual abuse cases.
The man faces multiple charges over alleged offences committed against children aged 9 to 15 between 2019 and 2022, according to Finland’s National Prosecution Authority.
The public portion of the proceedings will begin at the Pirkanmaa District Court on Monday before the trial moves behind closed doors on Tuesday.
Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported that the alleged victims were boys from across Finland.
Police found thousands of images and videos
The investigation began after police discovered thousands of images and videos of unidentified children on the suspect’s mobile phone in 2022 while searching it in connection with another criminal case.
Police said the suspect allegedly contacted children through Snapchat and pressured them to send intimate images or videos and to carry out sexual acts.
He faces charges including aggravated sexual abuse of children, sexual abuse of children and aggravated distribution of an image depicting children in a sexual manner, according to the prosecutor.
The defendant partially admitted to the alleged offenses during the police investigation.
In December 2025, Finnish police said they were investigating a 27-year-old man in connection with 364 suspected sexual offenses against children.
Prosecutors subsequently decided not to pursue charges in three of those cases, leaving 361 charges before the court.
Trial expected to last through year-end
The scale of the case is reflected in the court schedule, with around 45 hearing days set aside for the proceedings.
The court expects the trial to continue for “at least until the end of this year.”
The case highlights the challenges authorities face in investigating online sexual exploitation, particularly when alleged offenders use social media platforms to target children across different parts of a country.
