Two men remanded in custody in pimping case in Trondheim
Two men are charged with pimping in Trøndelag. Police are seeking four weeks' custodial remand with restrictions on mail and visits for both.
Custody hearing at Trøndelag District Court following pimping arrests
Trøndelag District Court heard on Sunday morning the question of remand for two men charged with pimping, according to NRK Norge. Police are seeking four weeks' custodial remand with restrictions on mail and visits for both, on account of risk of evidence tampering.
The two charged are Tom Ketil Krogstad and a man in his 60s of foreign origin. Both were arrested by Trøndelag police district towards the end of last week, charged under section 315 of the Penal Code for facilitating prostitution of a young woman.
Denies guilt
The man in his 60s's defence counsel, lawyer Linn Haug Holm, states that her client denies guilt and will request release. Krogstad's defence counsel Farhad Shæriæti declined to comment on the matter to NRK on Saturday evening.
Police prosecutor Ane Sørebø at Trøndelag police district states in a press release that the charged are suspected of having facilitated the prostitution of one woman, and that police take the matter seriously.
— Based on the information we have so far, the charged are suspected of having facilitated prostitution of a woman. We regard this as serious, of course, says Sørebø.
Krogstad has previous convictions for pimping
Krogstad is founder and former figurehead of the sex club Club4 in Trondheim. In 2002 he was sentenced to prison for pimping and unlicensed sale of alcohol – a sentence Frostating appeals court upheld on appeal. In 2021 he was again sentenced to eight months' prison for pimping, after Trøndelag District Court found it proven that he had facilitated contact between sex workers and sex buyers in the period 2016 to 2019.
Injured party glad for arrests
Legal representative Gunhild Oftedal represents the injured party in the new case and states that she recently assisted her in questioning.
— She is glad that the men have been arrested, so that no further women are subjected to what she has been subjected to, says Oftedal.
Out of consideration for the investigation, Oftedal is unable to provide further details.
Early stage of investigation
Police stress that it is early in the investigation at present, and that it will be established whether there are further injured parties.
— It will be a completely central part of the investigation now to establish the scope and duration of this, says Sørebø to NRK.
Police have carried out several investigative steps, including examination of digital seizures and questioning of involved parties. Sørebø states that the work was done closely to the arrests and will continue through the weekend.
— Essentially we have worked on executing operations and securing digital devices, she says.
Out of consideration for the investigation, Sørebø does not wish to disclose how police came upon the case or other specific details.
Source: NRK Norge