NewsBite

Hanak Sandgren pleads guilty to possessing 70+ child abuse files

A former academic was busted with a shocking stash of child abuse files after he uploaded several to a puzzle-making website for his ‘perverted amusement’.

Hanak Sandgren. Picture: Facebook
Hanak Sandgren. Picture: Facebook

A former academic has been jailed after being caught with dozens of child abuse files, including several he uploaded to a puzzle-making website for his “perverted amusement”.

Hakan Olov Alexius Sandgren downloaded almost 30 files of child exploitation material between May and September, 2020.

Southport District Court was told that months later, Sandgren uploaded three images to a website that scrambled users’ pictures into jigsaw puzzles.

It was heard the images showed children as young as six to eight years old.

Sandgren solved the three puzzles and deleted the images the same day, but was soon banned from the platform and reported to police.

Officers searched the 64-year-old’s home in March last year, finding more than 70 child abuse files on his laptop and hard drive.

The court was told Sandgren initially denied uploading the images, claiming he could have been “hacked by QAnon” after a disagreement with someone on the platform.

He told police in a later interview that he was the only person who had access to his laptop and home internet the day the child abuse material was uploaded to the puzzle website.

Parts of a psychological report were read to the court on Sandgren’s behalf, which said his offending was likely driven by “sexual experimentation” or “curiosity”.

It was heard the academic was unemployed after Covid struck and spent much of his spare time on the internet.

Sandgren felt shame and remorse for his conduct and had been unable to find work since media reports about his charges, the court was told.

Judge John Allen said Sandgren’s clean criminal history and low risk of reoffending weighed in his favour, but did not reduce the seriousness of his conduct.

“These are not victimless crimes,” Judge Allen said.

“The material depicts real children who would have suffered terribly in the production of such material, and the personal circumstances of victims is an important consideration.”

Sandgren pleaded guilty to one count each of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ jail, with release under a good behaviour bond after three months in custody.

Sandgren will also be placed on probation for 12 months.

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-gold-coast/hanak-sandgren-pleads-guilty-to-possessing-70-child-abuse-files/news-story/44bd5c49bc7bd495be4d37836dbf84bc