A suspended prison sentence for the former Real Madrid star
The former Spanish and international Real Madrid defender, German Christoph Metzelder, was sentenced today to 10 months suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of child pornography, leading to the circulation of illegal images of minors on the Internet during his appearance before a court in Düsseldorf.
The trial was scheduled to last until May 10, but a decision was issued after the former international player admitted to sharing pornographic images of minors on the Internet.
Metzelder, 40, said during the first day of his trial before a local court in Düsseldorf that in 2019 he sent pornographic files related to girls and young women through the application of "WhatsApp" to many women, including his ex-girlfriend who reported his actions to the police.
He also found 297 files related to child pornography on his mobile phone during the investigation. The former German international player admitted, "I obtained incriminating photos that were freely available on the Internet and took screenshots."
"I participated in sexual fantasies during the talks," he said from the witness stand, in statements reported by the French-affiliated "Syed" agency.
Prosecutors said that the former international player who reached the finals of the World Cup in South Korea and Japan 2002 sent 29 pornographic files to three women through the application of "WhatsApp", including a picture showing a young child in "an extremely sexual position."
The charges were not publicly brought against Metzelder, who arrived in court in a gray suit and black mask due to the Coronavirus. Metzelder admitted to the judge that he was interested in "pushing the boundaries," but not through the pornography of the children themselves, which in some cases reflected serious harassment.
A former Real defender confirmed that he had never participated in "attacks on children or youths ... despite comments in the talks" and added within the same context, "This happened in a parallel digital world." On the other hand, Metzelder expressed his pride in his sports career and his service to society, stressing at the same time that he shared the pictures "despite my knowledge of the terrible suffering that children are subjected to because of every digital file." Metzelder worked as an analyst for the German public broadcaster ARD, before it was decided to suspend cooperation with him while he was under investigation in September 2019.
On the other hand, his lawyer, Ulrich Sommer, confirmed that he is undergoing treatment to help him deal with “certain issues such as sexual activity or dealing with women in certain situations.” Metzelder fought the 2002 World Cup final and 2008 European Cup with the German national team shirt, and defended the “Manchafft” in 47 international matches. Between 2001 and 2008.
He also played for Borussia Dortmund (2000-2007), then he experienced a professional experience with the Madrid club (2007-2010), to return to the "Bundesliga" through the Schalke Gate in a career that lasted 15 years inside the green rectangle.
He retired from football in 2014, and in 2016 founded an association bearing his name to support socially disadvantaged children all over Germany.
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