Man convicted of buying sex – "I didn’t know it was illegal"
At the beginning of the year, the police in Gothenburg were surveilling outside a hotel where prostitution was taking place.
Several men have been prosecuted or convicted for buying sex at the hotel in Gothenburg – one of them is a 24-year-old man from Kristianstad.
”I didn’t know that it was illegal. If I had known, I would not have bought sex. This is the first time I’m buying sex”The man when he was questioned by police
On January 30th, the 24-year-old arranged a meeting with a prostitute. He had contacted her via a website. He paid the woman 1,000 crowns for sex.
According to the police report, the man was in the hotel room for less than a quarter of an hour. He was arrested immediately afterwards by the police. The man confessed on the spot.
– I didn’t know that it was illegal. If I had known, I would not have bought sex. This is the first time I’m buying sex, said the man when he was questioned by police.
Gothenburg District Court has now sentenced the man to a 10,000 crown fine.
The Sex Purchase Act
The Sex Purchase Act bans the purchase of sexual services. It is a crime to buy sexual services, but not to sell them.
The law came into force on 1st January 1999.
Sweden became the first country in the world where it was illegal to buy sex even though it is legal to sell.
