Man found guilty of bicycle molestation
Eric Vey
A man was convicted in court last Friday in Sweden for sexual
molestation after he used the saddles of three bicycles in order to
satisfy himself. According to reports in The Local, the 40-year-old man
was from Ostersund in northern Sweden and was charged with three counts
of molestation for which he was found guilty.
The man confessed in court to his strange behaviour. He told the court
that in three distinct incidents, he slashed the bicycle tyres of women
he found attractive. He then went on to rub himself against the bicycle
seats until he was sexually gratified.
The man claimed that his behaviour was motivated by a feeling of
confusion he suffered since separating from his partner in 2007.
Reports in local newspapers indicate that for several months, one of the
bicycle owners had been afraid of an unidentified stalker who continued
to masturbate on her bicycle, which was parked near her home.
Prosecutors have also charged the man with five additional cases of
slashing bicycle tyres, but so far he has denied these charges. After
hearing scant evidence on these incidents of vandalism, the court
acquitted the man for the additional tyre slashing.
On account of the man’s clean criminal record, the court opted not to
bestow the maximum penalty of several months’ imprisonment and opt
instead for fines and probation. The man has already been in custody
while the investigation was conducted and has agreed to seek
professional assistance to change his behaviour.
He has been ordered to pay fines totalling SEK 10,000 and SEK 3,000 in
damages to each of the three women involved in the case.