Andreas Schjelderup Receives Suspended Sentence for Sharing Inappropriate Material

Andreas Schjelderup, a Norwegian international footballer, has received a two-week suspended prison sentence following a ruling by a Danish court. He was found guilty of distributing sexual material involving two boys under the age of 18.

At the age of 21, Schjelderup, who currently plays as a winger for Benfica, explained to the court that he had received a 27-second video via Snapchat. Believing it to be harmless, he shared it with a group chat of four friends before realizing its inappropriate content and deleting it shortly thereafter.

At the time of the incident, Schjelderup was 19 and was playing for Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga. He pleaded guilty and cooperated fully with the police investigation.

The court clarified that Schjelderup would only serve his sentence if he commits another offense within the next 12 months. The prosecution had recommended a minimum sentence of 20 days in prison.

Anders Nemeth, Schjelderup’s lawyer, indicated that the defense team would take time to consider whether to appeal the verdict.

Rui Costa, president of Benfica, has previously expressed support for Schjelderup amid the ongoing situation.

In an Instagram statement posted on November 8, Schjelderup extended an apology for his actions, describing them as a “stupid mistake.” He conveyed a willingness to face the consequences and urged others not to share or view harmful or offensive material.

He further stated, “The offense I will be convicted for does not reflect who I am as a person and what I stand for.”

Having earned eight caps for Norway, Schjelderup was an unused substitute in the recent match in which Norway triumphed over Italy 4-1, successfully qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.