In a ruling dated October 9, an individual has been charged with three counts of child sexual abuse, three counts of rape, and three counts of child pornography.
The victims were aged 11 and 13, and the crimes occurred in 2022 and 2023.
In one instance, the accused, who was 23 at the time, began conversing with the victim, a neighbor, via Instagram, which led to a romantic relationship.
Following the initial meetings, the accused persuaded the minor to meet at an abandoned house, where he offered her marijuana and beer before raping her and leaving her alone.
That same day, he threatened to reveal the incident to her parents unless she sent him nude photos of herself.
Using these photos as leverage, he forced her to visit his house at least twice, where he coerced her into sexual activities again.
The other victim, the sister of the accused’s girlfriend, suffers from a syndrome causing “a significant cognitive delay compared to peers.”
She was abused while under the accused’s care at his home.
Initially, the defendant was sentenced at the Guimarães Court to 11 and a half years in prison, but the Supreme Court has now extended this to 14 years.
The court emphasized the defendant’s considerable culpability, the severe nature of the crimes, and the profound effects on the victims’ personalities, privacy, and sexual autonomy.
Regarding one victim, the court highlighted the defendant’s deceitful, coercive, reckless, and abusive conduct, capitalizing on her emotional dependence.
In the other case, he exploited the cognitive vulnerability, showing no regard for her health, freedom, privacy, and sexual self-determination, thereby impacting her personality and self-esteem.
The accused has prior convictions for robbery and theft, currently serving a six-year sentence.
