The paedophile known as the “Pocket Man” fired his lawyer this week. According to reports in Aftenposten. The unnamed man, who stands accused of molesting 25 young boys, has engaged a new lawyer to replace the high profile lawyer who was handling his case.
The police say that the man became known as “Pocket Man” (lommemannen), because he was known for getting young boys to put their hands into his pocket.
The change of lawyers away from Tor Erling Staff, may indicate that the man from Bergen is attempting a new legal strategy. Staff, who has considerable experience defending criminals in Norway, had advised the 56-year-old man not to speak with his investigators.
The “Pocket Man” stands accused of 25 crimes, although police suspect him to be implicated in hundreds of cases over three decades.
Gunhild Lærum is the new lawyer for the “Pocket Man”. Lærum was the defence lawyer for a similar case recently in which a teacher was also accused of molestation. In the teacher’s case, Lærum urged the teacher to “put his cards on the table”, a radical departure in strategy for the “Pocket Man”.
The “Pocket Man” has not admitted guilt. He was arrested in January after one of the most high profile manhunts in Norwegian criminal history.