Court sentences child molester who worked at a school to 9 years
Harju County Court convicted Andres Kents (58), who spent decades working at child care institutions, of crimes of a sexual nature against four children under the age of 10 and sentenced him to nine years in prison.
According to the charges, Kents committed various crimes of a sexual nature against four children under the age of 10 in different locations between August of 2018 and April of last year.
It is the court's position that Kents' guilt is clear beyond doubt in statements given by the victims and witnesses, with video recordings part of surveillance records serving as especially colorful proof. The court identified no mitigating or aggravating circumstances. Kents did not plead guilty in court.
The man was sentenced to nine years in prison that can be considered a punishment of average length for the crimes. He will have to pay €4,064.28 in procedural expenses.
The judgment has not entered into force and can be appealed inside 15 days.
The "Pealtnägija" investigative journalism program revealed in January that Kents had worked at child care institutions for over 30 years where his conduct often raised questions, while things always died down.
Kents worked as a janitor at the Tallinn Old Town Educational College and the Mooniõied Kindergarten in Mustamäe borough and volunteered at various youth associations and programs.
The police received the first tips of Kents' unhealthy interest in underage boys in 2010, while no victim dared step forward at the time.
The investigation was launched in May of 2020 following a tip from one of Kents' neighbors, and it took another year until he was detained in April 2021.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski