Thomas Scheller, a German national, has been sentenced to 81 years in prison after a Nairobi court found him guilty on three counts of trafficking, indecent acts with minors, and child pornography.

Scheller, 73, who was charged before principal Magistrate Caroline Njangi received 30 years in the slammer for trafficking, 15 years for committing an indecent act with a child, and 7 years each for three counts of child pornography. 

The German national, who is believed to have entered the country illegally, was initially charged with defiling a minor between March and April 2020 in Kisumu county's Nyalenda area.

He was also charged with intentionally and unlawfully recruiting, transporting, and harbouring a 13-year-old child for the purpose of exploitation through fraud, as well as showing a pornographic video to two young boys.

During the proceedings, he claimed that he was being falsely accused of the crimes and that he only wanted to help the 13-year-old minor and her mother.

Police claim that Scheller, who allegedly evaded a police dragnet in Kwale and fled to Kisumu where he committed the crimes, was apprehended in Nairobi outside the German embassy.