Danish police charge Andreas Schjelderup after admitting to sharing illegal material
Benfica forward Andreas Schjelderup has publicly confirmed he has been charged by Danish police in a case involving the sharing of an illegal video featuring two young males.
The 21-year-old Norwegian international addressed the situation on Instagram on Saturday, following reports in Danish media that an unnamed footballer had been indicted for distributing unlawful material to minors.
“I want to be open with you all about a stupid mistake I made about two years ago,” Schjelderup wrote.
The former FC Nordsjaelland player said police contacted him earlier this year, and he now expects the case to conclude soon.
“I was charged with this violation, which I will probably be sentenced for in the near future,” he said, adding: “What I did in Denmark at the time was illegal and not okay.”
Schjelderup explained that he was 19 when he received the video and forwarded it to a friend “without thinking clearly.”
He said he viewed only the opening seconds and did not immediately realise what the content developed into. His friend later pointed out the material was illegal, prompting him to delete it.
“I didn’t think about the consequences or the seriousness of it. My only explanation is that I was shocked to see what looked like two young men in an old-quality video,” he wrote.
The striker expressed regret over the timing of the case, with Norway preparing for key World Cup qualifying matches next week.
The case is scheduled to be heard at Copenhagen City Court on 19 November and will proceed as a confession case.
According to Norwegian outlet VG, Schjelderup is charged under Section 235(2) of the Danish Penal Code, which covers possession or distribution of sexual material involving individuals under 18.
