29 year-old sentenced to four years in prison for human trafficking

Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB scanpix

The Bulgarian woman was to marry a Norwegian man, but ended up as a prostitute. Now the man has been sentenced for human trafficking in the Gulating Court of Appeal.

The 29 year-old man, resident in Stavanger, has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in the Court of Appeal. In addition, he is sentenced to pay NOK 30,000 in costs and NOK 150,000 in compensation to the victim, wrote Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper.

The judgment is the same as the district court came to. The man has always denied punishment, but was not believed by the two courts.

For nearly a year, the Bulgarian woman sold sexual services, and the money went to the 29 year-old who she thought was in love with her.

The two became known to each other via Facebook and met each other in 2016 when the man went to Bulgaria. Then they went to Poland, where she was told by the man to work as a prostitute to pay for the journey and the apartment they were staying in.

In 2017, they came to Stavanger where the prostitution continued.

When the woman was approached on the street by the police, they suspected pimping and initiated investigations.

During the proceedings in the Court of Appeal, some of the talks between the woman and the defendant were played, and the courtfound that the man manipulated the woman, threatened her, and also that he used violence against her.

The court believes that the defendant has exploited the woman’s vulnerable situation and found him guilty of both pimping and trafficking.

Lawyer, Anne Kroken, of the law firm, Torstrup, who is the man’s defence attorney, said that the judgment will be appealed.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today