A 53-year-old who repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl and also operated as a pimp for the underage victim has been arrested in Kolonos district of Athens. His neighbors praised him as a “good and religious family man.”
The man has a mini market store in the area and the girl was a member of a needy family with several children. Her mother was working at the store as a cleaner and the victim would help there too in the school-free days.
It was a relative of the girl who discovered that she was been abused and was forced to offer sex services. The relative informed the mother who immediately turned to police and filed a complaint.
The 53-year-old and a 42-year-old one, most likely a customer, were arrested on Friday night.
The rapist and pimp used to rape the girl under the threat of a weapon inside his store. He would also take pictures and filmed his sick actions and then upload the material on internet seeking for customers, media reported.
A total of 213 men had reportedly responded to his internet offers, police found out after his phone records waiver. the girl has reportedly told police that she has been raped by 10 men at least.
The man would cash 50 to 70 euros per visit and often also 100 euros.
The sex appointments would take place near the metro station of Sepolia in western Athens and the girl would be sexually abused inside the clients’ cars.
According to state broadcaster ERT, the man would claim on his sex announcement he was posting with a fake profile that the girl was “a 16-year-old student.”
The suspect’s name has not been made public. However, both his name and pictures from his official social media account are circulating as they have been posted on social media by other Greek internet users. The man had often posted pictures of him chanting in the church, pictures of him together with members of the clergy and prominent politicians of the conservative spectrum.
His neighbors told media that they are in shock about the allegations and revelations saying that he was a low profile man and businessman, devoted to the Church, a chanter during services, who loved animals and was politically active in the local branch of the conservative party. “A good, religious, family man,” several people in the neighborhood said.
The “good family man” was taken to prosecutor on Monday and has been charged with a string of sexual offenses committed between April and August this year.
He has denied all charges saying that it was the girl sending him the videos and pictures with the aim to approach him, Skai TV reported.
In search, police found in his possession 2 pistols, 572 cartridges, 21 knives, a bayonet, 2 laptops and a hard disk that were confiscated..
The 42-year-old man has also been charged arrested and charged with sexual crimes involving the minor. In his possession police found 2 USB drives.
The prosecutor granted both men time until tomorrow, Tuesday, for their testimony.
Speaking to Alpha TV, the victim’s mother said in outrage “I will kill him. If something happens and this man is released, because he has people to cover for him, I will bury him myself.”
She added that she is asking for is exemplary punishment for the 53-year-old.
The family lawyer stated that police has done “a very good job” and that they have solidly fixed the case conducting coordinated investigation for a month.
According to daily efimerida ton syntakton, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou admitted at the briefing on Monday that the 53-year-old man was member of the ruling party. He added that the man’s membership has been suspended after the revelations.
“What has been revealed is horrible, appalling. The society is shocked. The Police, the Justice make sure that every aspect is clarified, that the mastermind and the accomplices are punished. With the changes of the Criminal Code, the penalties have been tightened. If found guilty and convicted, he could face up to life in prison. He was indeed a member of New Democracy, his status is suspended,” Oikonomou said.