The Vaslui Court sentenced Emanoil Petrea, a former officer of Romania’s Protection and Guard Service (SPP – the institution designated to protect and defend dignitaries) to two years and eight months in prison for child pornography and sexual intercourse with a minor.

However, the Court’s decision is not final and can be appealed, reports local News.ro.

Petrea, who was also an employee of local TV station Romania TV, was placed under preventive arrest in October last year, on charges of child pornography. He later admitted to the facts.

The prosecutors accused Emanoil Petrea of having produced and stored pornographic material in which minors, aged between 13 and 16 years, were having sex with him and several other men. The prosecutors and police officers have identified eight victims in this case.

Part of the investigators’ evidence was gathered during raids at Petrea’s vacation home in Costesti, Vaslui county. The footages were showing the girls having sexual intercourse with Emanoil Petrea and two other men during private parties organized at his house in Costesti.

In October 2016, the prosecutors also searched his house in Bucharest and the headquarters of the local television where he was working.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com