Four-year prison sentence for Oulu child molester

Martial arts teacher convicted of nearly 800 sex crimes

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Taekwondo instructor Sami Olavi Greus was sentenced in Oulu District Court to four years and three months imprisonment for sex crimes targeting young girls.
      The 33-year-old Greus was accused of nearly 800 illegal acts with minors. The court rejected only two of the 22 counts in the indictment.
      The acts in question took place between 1997 and 2005 in different parts of the north of Finland. All of the victims practiced martial arts. Some of the girls were aged 14 and 15, but most were aged 16 and 17 when the molestation took place.
     
Greus was ordered to pay each of the 12 young girls damages varying between EUR 2,000 and EUR 10,000.
      The court found that the exceptionally large number of acts was an aggravating circumstance, as was Greus's status as an instructor and well-known sports figure.
      The modus operandi was the same with nearly all of the victims. He would first praise their skills and appearance during taekwondo practice, he would drive them to the training sessions himself, and finally he would contact them either by telephone or e-mail, asking the girls to visit him at his home after the lessons.
      The court found that most of the girls were sexually inexperienced when they met the teacher. As the relationships continued, the nature of the sexual activity became increasingly rough, and involved various types of equipment.
     
The court found the sexual activity to be completely inappropriate, considering the girls' age and lack of experience.
      Greus also took video recordings of his activities with nearly all of the girls, either with their consent or without it. His recordings were confiscated.
      Greus's ability to manipulate people to his own advantage was also evident in the DVD material played as evidence, which he had sent two of the witnesses during the process.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Oulu man on paedophilia charges suspected of intimidating witnesses (18.8.2006)
  Martial arts coach in Oulu faces charges of molesting young girls
  Oulu man charged with nearly 800 sex crimes (29.5.2006)
  Oulu man suspected of numerous cases of sexual molestation of children (3.5.2006)

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