A Swedish prosecutor on Monday charged a man accused of exploiting his “vulnerable” wife by forcing her to have sex with men for money, bringing charges of aggravated pimping, multiple rapes and assault in a case involving around 120 men.
The case has shocked Sweden, drawing comparisons to that of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, whose husband Dominique Pelicot was jailed in 2024 after admitting to repeatedly drugging her and facilitating her rape by dozens of men.
The 62-year-old suspect, said to be a former member of the Hells Angels, was arrested in October after his wife reported him to police in northern Sweden. He has remained in custody since.
According to prosecutors, the man profited over several years by coercing his wife “to perform and submit to sexual acts”. He allegedly created online advertisements, arranged meetings, monitored encounters and pressured the woman to engage in sexual acts online to attract more clients.
He is further accused of using violence and threats, exploiting her drug dependency and supplying her with narcotics. The prosecutor described the conduct as “ruthless exploitation”.
Although Swedish law criminalises the purchase of sex rather than its sale, facilitating prostitution is also illegal. In addition to aggravated pimping, the man — who denies the allegations — faces eight rape charges, including incidents involving clients and instances where the woman was forced to perform sexual acts on herself for online videos.
Prosecutor Ida Annerstedt noted that while the woman had “to some extent” agreed to sell sex, she maintained certain limits.
“There are certain boundaries she has had. When he hasn’t respected them, when he has steamrolled her after she has said ‘no’, those are the situations when he is charged with attempted rape, or rape,” she said.
The suspect is also charged with four counts of attempted rape and four counts of assault. The charges include allegations of threats, some involving warnings about unleashing “the monster”.
The offences are said to have taken place between August 2022 and October 2025, with the trial set to begin on April 13.
Authorities have identified around 120 individuals suspected of purchasing sexual services, with 26 already charged and others still under investigation.
The woman’s lawyer, Silvia Ingolfsdottir, described the case as involving “serious and aggravated crimes” and said her client hopes to obtain justice.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Sweden, with Gender Equality Minister Nina Larsson condemning it as “shocking and disgusting” and calling for an end to the buying and selling of women’s bodies.