German former MP goes on trial on child porn charges
Verden (Germany) (AFP) - A former German lawmaker went on trial Monday accused of downloading child pornography in a case that triggered a major political scandal leading to the resignation of a cabinet minister.
Sebastian Edathy, 45, formerly a high-flying Social Democrat lawmaker known for his fight against far-right extremists, is accused of downloading images and video files featuring child pornography onto his work laptop in 2013.
Edathy, who is being tried by a court in the northern town of Verden, denies the charges for which he could face two years in prison.
He is also charged with possession of a book and CD containing photos which prosecutors said contained illicit material featuring minors.
The case was adjourned until March 2 after around 90 minutes to allow Edathy and his defence team to discuss a possible admission of guilt, which could open the way to for an out-of-court settlement.
The former MP resigned his Bundestag seat citing health reasons a year ago, just days before it emerged that his home and offices had been searched.
The case proved an early political headache for Chancellor Angela Merkel at the start of her third term. Then agriculture minister Hans-Peter Friedrich resigned after coming under pressure over suspicions he leaked confidential information about the probe.
Edathy gained prominence for heading a parliamentary panel into the shock 2011 discovery of a neo-Nazi killer cell.
