In very disturbing news, former Sabaton and Civil War guitarist Rikard Sundén has been convicted of child molestation and possession of child pornography. The metal musician was found guilty in a Swedish court, and has been sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to pay a fine roughly equivalent to $6,200.
MetalSucks obtained court documents detailing the case, painting a troubling account of the events that led to the conviction. Sundén, who apparently recently changed his name to Johan Andersson, was accused of molesting his daughter’s 8-year-old friend during an overnight stay. Additionally, authorities seized two computers and a phone from the guitarist that contained multiple films of child pornography.
Sundén and his legal team tried to argue that it wasn’t the guitarist who improperly touched the young girl under her clothes, and that instead it was incidental contact by his own daughter, who tends to move around a lot in her sleep. As for the child pornography. Sundén admitted to watching the films, but insisted that the files weren’t his, and that other people had access to his computer.
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Neither argument convinced the Swedish court, which found Sundén guilty of one count of child sexual abuse and six counts of possession of child pornography.
Sundén was a founding member of Swedish metal veterans Sabaton, remaining with the band from their start in 1999 through 2012. He appeared on their first six albums, before he and other members left the group to form another Swedish metal act, Civil War. He had been an active member of Civil War up until last month, when the group had announced that Sundén had been replaced, with details to be revealed later. It can now be assumed that his legal troubles led to his departure.
The disconcerting particulars of Sundén’s case, including the emotional and psychological trauma the incident had on the young girl, are described in much further detail in the full article at MetalSucks.
