Man goes on trial for pressuring wife to sell sex

A Swedish man suspected of exploiting his "vulnerable" wife to have sex with scores of men for payment, went on trial on Friday for aggravated pimping, rape and assault.

The 62-year-old Swedish suspect, who denies the charges, was arrested in October after his wife reported him to police in the north of the country. He has been in custody ever since.

The man, who is reportedly a former Hell's Angel with a tattoo around his eye, appeared in court wearing a grey chequered shirt and appeared as prosecutor Ida Annerstedt read out the charges.

According to the prosecutor, he had for years made money from pressuring his wife "to perform and submit to sexual acts".

"He is charged with aggravated pimping. He has facilitated an operation in which his partner and later wife have sold sex," Annerstedt told AFP during a break in the proceedings.

The wife was not present in the courtroom but was following the proceedings via a video link, where only her lawyer was shown so that she remained anonymous.

After the charges were read out, the trial continued behind closed doors.

The man is accused of creating online adverts, setting up meetings, keeping guard and pressuring the woman to perform sexual acts online in order to attract more clients.

The prosecutor, who also claims the man created and supported a drug addiction for the woman, has labelled it "ruthless exploitation".

"I maintain that he has exploited her situation in that she has been under the influence of drugs, she has been under the influence of alcohol, and she has had a serious fear of him," Annerstedt told AFP, noting that the charges included assaults and threats.

The accused was believed to have profited over 500,000 kronor ($53,700), according to the prosecutor.

Martina Michaelsdotter, the accused's lawyer, told AFP that her client denied the charges against him.

Under Sweden's law on prostitution, selling sex is not illegal. But paying for sex or facilitating its sale is against the law.

In addition to being charged with aggravated pimping and four assaults, the suspect is charged with eight rapes and four attempted rapes.

The rape charges include one incident when the suspect allegedly compelled his wife to have sex with a particular client and several where he made her perform sexual acts on herself for online videos.

Such offences are classed as rape under Swedish law because the victim had not given consent.

The case has caused shock in Sweden and comparisons have been made with France's Gisele Pelicot, whose husband was convicted in 2024 of drugging her and letting scores of men rape her while unconscious.

Prosecutor Annerstedt previously told AFP the woman had, to "some extent", "agreed to sell sex" but had objected to doing so with certain people or under certain circumstances.

"She had certain boundaries. There are situations where he didn't respect those boundaries and steamrollered her after she said 'no'. In these instances, he is charged with attempted rape or rape," Annerstedt told AFP.

The offences allegedly occurred between August 11, 2022, and October 21, 2025.

Annerstedt said that 120 buyers had been identified and that so far 26 had been charged, but she noted they had only been charged with buying sex as they were not under the impression the woman was participating unwillingly.

The trial started out dealing with the charges against the husband, but other accused would be called at later dates.

Martina Michaelsdotter, the accused's lawyer, told AFP that her client disputed the charges against him.

"He acknowledges that, to some extent, he has been involved in the plaintiff's business," she said, adding that that this involvement had been in accordance with the plaintiff's instructions and wishes.

"If one were to put a label on that role, I'd say it has been partly administrative and, for example, involved providing support with technical matters," Michaelsdotter said.

"There has been no form of coercion or threat, no violence. He has not in any way caused her either psychological or physical suffering, or made her dependent on either alcohol or drugs," the lawyer said.