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It’s a blatant case of child pornography. The German Armin P.* (47) from the district of Bremgarten AG is said to have had more than 1.4 million illegal files on his computers – from the Internet. He is also said to have gone to playgrounds and amusement parks to secretly photograph children.
After a police tip, P. was arrested in early February. According to the indictment, he should be sentenced to six years in prison and deported for 10 years. Blick’s research showed that he had a view of children’s playgrounds from his house. His wife went into hiding after his arrest.
Now Blick has found Simone Q.** (45). She lives alone in her home country Germany. And: She’s ready to speak in public. She immediately says, “I knew absolutely nothing about my husband’s shameful actions. It’s hell what he did.”
Moved to Switzerland because of higher wages
She then says that she met Armin in Germany in 2007. “At a radio station.” They soon became a couple. “He became my great love. That’s why we got married in 2008.” Because Armin had the prospect of a higher salary in Switzerland because of his job, they moved to Aargau in 2009. “Everything was perfect.”
Armin soon became more and more withdrawn. Added to that was the stress of work. At some point the desire to have children disappeared. She wanted to divorce him, but: “We remained in a marriage of convenience. I did the housework, he brought the money home.”
Then came the pandemic. “The home office probably killed him,” she says. When he left the house, he said he was going to “take pictures of train stations and airports. He enjoys it.”
The morning of the arrest
Then came the sudden end. Simone Q. talks about the arrest. “He had been sleeping alone in our bedroom for a long time and usually had the door locked. He had a laptop, tablet and mobile phone next to him on the mattress. He always told me it was just for business. I always slept on the couch in the living room. “Then suddenly there was a loud bang and I woke up.”
There were many people in the apartment – in masks, protective vests, armed. “All I saw was my cat running into the bedroom, my husband coming out and disappearing back in.” She was led to the basement. “I had to wait there.” She noticed Armin being taken to the adjacent basement. “I heard him crying.”
The woman was allowed to leave again in the afternoon
On the way to the police station she discovered that it was child pornography. “I was like, Huh?” She was put in a cell. Her public defender later explained to her what it was about. «My husband has pedophilic tendencies. I could not believe it. I was ashamed of Armin.” She was then taken to prison in handcuffs. “I woke up every hour at night.” She could be tried in the afternoon.
After a few days she receives letters from P. “I’m so sorry about what happened,” he writes. He advises her to move back to Germany. “You will definitely be happy again.” He swears he has “never touched a child inappropriately.” He’s always had his shitty tendencies and was able to suppress them for a few years. But: “It happened again sometime in 2015.” In the summer he was often filming. The Public Prosecution Service has already confirmed that he has confessed and that there is no evidence of sexual acts with children.
The divorce proceedings are still ongoing
When P. finds out that his wife wants a divorce, he writes to her: “I will not object.” There is no forgiveness for him. His wife later finds out what was found on the “at least twenty hard drives”. “Terrible,” she says. Armin was observed for a long time. She saw a photo of the researchers. There he can be seen with a backpack on his lap and further away a girl in a well, naked. “Incomprehensible. I feel so deeply sorry for all his victims.”
Simone Q. now wants to build a new life for herself. She could ‘help him as a friend’, but the separation continues. The immediate family members are aware of the case. Only his parents would still support him. She is sure: ‘He needs therapy. And the prison sentence cannot be high enough!”
* Name changed
**Name known
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
