Several Norwegian media outlets reported on Wednesday that the country's international winger wonderkid Andreas Schjelderup who is currently playing for Benfica, has admitted to illegally distributing sex videos of underage girls and could face conviction.

According to reports, police had previously received a report alleging that a young Norwegian national team player was involved in illegally distributing sex videos of girls under the age of 18.

At the time, due to privacy protection regarding both the victims and the suspect, police and the media did not publicly disclose which player was involved.

Until last Sunday, when Schjelderup suddenly posted an apology on his social media account, admitting that he was 19 years old at the time, playing for Nordsjælland, and had made a "very serious mistake and disappointingly failed to set a good example." Only then did the public realize that he was the player involved.

He stated that he received the videos from someone else and, after watching them for a few seconds, shared them to his friends without carefully reviewing the content and unaware of the serious consequences.

Seconds later, when he received a reply from a friend telling him he shouldn't have shared the videos, otherwise he might have committed a crime, he realized his mistake and hurriedly deleted them.

Schjelderup added that he regretted not realizing the videos were filmed and distributed illegally, and that he hadn't considered the potential consequences of sharing these indecent videos.

Finally, he stated that he didn't intend to harm anyone, nor did he deliberately intend to distribute the indecent videos. He deeply apologized for his rash actions, which unnecessarily clouded the Norwegian national team's preparations for the World Cup qualifiers which will start this week.

He also confirmed that he had been convicted and might face imprisonment, but would receive a suspended sentence.

Although the post has since been automatically deleted and cannot be viewed again, Schjelderup's controversy has still caused a huge stir.

Schjelderup was summoned to the Norwegian Football Association's management office upon his return to Norway to explain the matter.

Despite the FA listening to his explanation, the authorities remain disappointed by the seriousness of Schjelderup's mistake.

The Norwegian Football Association president, Lise Klavennes, told reporters that she was deeply disappointed by the seriousness and criminal elements involved in Schjelderup's error.

She has instructed officials from the FA's Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to maintain close contact with Schjelderup's laywers to monitor the case's progress. The trial is currently scheduled for next Wednesday, November 19th.

It is understood that his teammate, RB Leipzig striker Antonio Nusa, was very distressed upon learning of the incident.

Although Schjelderup committed such a serious offense, Klavennes confirmed that she will not impose any further suspensions on the player for the time being to ensure the Norwegian national team's qualification for the World Cup.

When asked about Schjelderup's conviction at a pre-match press conference, Norway's national team head coach, Stale Solbåken, stated that the player had no excuse to cover up his crimes and expressed confidence that Schjelderup would actively cooperate with the prosecutor's questioning and investigation.

Schjelderup's potential conviction would not only severely impact Norway's chances of qualifying for the World Cup but also significantly affect Benfica's title aspirations this season, which has already been fraught with instability.

About Andreas Schjelderup

The 21-year-old Schjelderup was born on June 1, 2004, in Bodø, Norway. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a left winger or support striker.

Schjelderup played for his hometown club, Bodø/Glimt, during his childhood, but joined Nordsjælland after his contract expired in January 2020.

The following February, Schjelderup completed his Nordsjælland's first-team debut by starting in the match. A month later, he scored his first ever first-team goal, breaking two records: the 13th youngest goalscorer in club history and the 4th youngest goalscorer in the Danish Superliga.

In January 2023, Schjelderup joined Benfica for €15 million, but was initially loaned-back to Nordsjælland for six months.

Upon returning to the club that summer, Schjeledrup became a key player for Benfica's first-team.

Since joining the As Águias, Schjelderup has made 60 appearances for the Portuguese Primeira Liga giants in all competitions, scoring 7 goals and providing 10 assists, winning the Portuguese Super Cup twice and the Taça da Liga once with the club.