For most of the people who have noticed Christoph Metzelder publicly in the past few decades, it still feels unreal what will be heard on Thursday in the Düsseldorf District Court.
A man whose reputation was once so impeccable that he was in many ways a shining example must defend himself against allegations that are seen by many as monstrous.
Metzelder is accused of owning and distributing child and youth pornography.
Investigators are said to have found a total of 297 files on his smartphone.
In addition, the public prosecutor's office accuses him of having “given another person possession of child pornography in 29 cases” in the period from July 9 to September 1, 2019.
The defense also portrays Metzelder as a victim - especially with regard to the behavior of the person who started the case.