A court in Moita, near Lisbon, has sentenced a 78-year-old man, known as Craveiro, to a 20 year prison term following a catalogue of crimes including aggravated assault, sexual abuse of minors, coercion and the enticement of youngsters to his home.
A spokesman for the police revealed that officers have identified five known victims and that a search of his home had revealed an extensive range of pornographic material. The activities of the paedophile were well known in his hometown, Quinta da Fonte de Prata, south of the river Tejo. Initially, Craveiro carried out his sexual crimes in an office. Then, after his mother’s death, Craveiro started to lure minors to his own house. When the youngsters became older, he started using force, intimidation and violence.
Another paedophile operating in the same area and known as ‘Fernando’, aged 55, was sentenced to eight years for other less serious crimes. In this case, the paedophile took his victims to a house in the woods where police found clothing and more pornographic photos.
In both cases, the paedophiles were offering money to their victims, usually selecting children from deprived backgrounds. Both offenders also abused children from the local schools.
A legal expert commented that it is extremely unusual for a judge in Portugal to sentence anyone to a 20-year sentence, especially when the defendant is as old as Craveiro.
