GermanyIn August 2026, investigators discovered over 1.8 million files containing depictions of child and youth sexual abuse on a 62-year-old judge from Thuringia who resides in Lower Saxony. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Hanover admitted to a mistake regarding the notification process. Although a letter detailing the investigation had been drafted and a copy sent to Lower Saxony’s Justice Ministry, the original intended for Thuringia was not dispatched due to an administrative error. As a result, the Thuringian Justice Ministry was only informed of the charges after they were formally filed. According to reports by MDR, the ministry initiated disciplinary proceedings against the judge on June 15, 2026, and requested further documents from the Hanover Regional Court. By mid-July, the ministry submitted a request for his temporary removal from duty. The accused is alleged to possess child and youth pornography, with approximately 1.7 million child pornographic and 150,000 youth pornographic files found during the search. The prosecutor’s office spokesperson mentioned the accused made brief comments during the search but did not provide specific details.
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