In four of the crimes, the women were threatened with a knife and in one case with an airgun, writes the Solna District Court in a press release.
The man, who works as a social services administrator, is said to have come into contact with the women through various prostitution and escort websites.
He is convicted despite his denial. He claims to have agreed to buy sex from the women, but then failed to visit them. The District Court does not believe him, partly because it is considered unlikely that the women would have conspired against the man and fabricated the events.
Warned on forum
A warning was issued on a forum for prostitutes last winter about a knife-wielding man who robbed and raped.
"Violent", wrote one woman. "He wants to steal or rape", wrote another.
"That one or more other perpetrators – on five separate occasions – would have been in the area, taken advantage of the fact that the woman was waiting for a sex buyer and committed the assaults is not likely", says the presiding judge, Josefin Mallmin, in the court's press release.
Vulnerable situation
The court notes that this is a systematic crime and that the women were in a vulnerable situation, as the man had entered their apartments.
The rapes are considered gross and, regarding the three robberies, the penalty value exceeds the minimum penalty because he used a knife and airgun.
On the other hand, what speaks for a milder sentence is that a guilty verdict is likely to result in him losing his job.
In addition to the prison sentence, the man is also sentenced to pay damages to four women, totaling over 700,000 kronor.
