On the stage in Las Vegas Jan Rouven trumped “The man with seven lives”. But none of his spectacular Tricks can help the German magician now. The 41-year-old Illusionist from Kerpen has been convicted in the United States for possession and distribution of child pornography to 20 years in prison. In addition, the court in Las Vegas is imposed on Thursday, a fine in the amount of $ 500,000 (approximately 440,000 euros), a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor’s office of the German press told the Agency.
“In this courtroom, at least the Show is over,” said judge Gloria Navarro, as she announced the sentence, such as the “Las Vegas Review-Journal” reported. According to the paper, Rouven fell in the court room, briefly fainted, then recovered again. With over 60 years of German from the prison will come free.
At the hearing on Thursday apologised Rouven in a short speech for his actions, wrote the “Las Vegas Review-Journal”. He argued, inter alia, that he had lost under the influence of Party drugs, the view of Good and Evil. Rouven is not a “Monster,” said his lawyer, Russell Marsh according to the paper. He had referred to him as a “nice guy who made very bad things”,. The defenders were hoping for a lower penalty in the amount of eight years, while the prosecution demanded 30 years in prison.
The mage, the celebrated success with his Show “The New Illusions” in Las Vegas, was arrested in March 2016. The allegations weighed heavily. More than 9000 Videos and photos showing Sex with Minors, with children, had discovered the investigator in the Villa, the Rouven with his husband and Manager, Frank age inhabited. Registered under cover-names like “Lars45” and “larusa22” he had procured files and more widespread, was the prosecution in court.
In the lengthy procedures Rouven changed several times his lawyers. He had denied the allegations at first. Someone else had downloaded the child porn on the Computer, one of his lawyers. The German was very hospitable, and always had visitors in the house, which would have easily had access to the devices.
Surprising confession 2016
In November 2016 Rouven took then, surprisingly, a confession and admitted his guilt on several counts. Later, he sought to retract his confession. He had been advised by his then lawyers the wrong way, made Rouven claim. This request the court denied last year, and now the penalty.
Rouven was the first German magician to Siegfried & Roy, who made it to the famous Strip, the Casino city. He was apparently of huge drills to impale, tied up in a water tank include, of burning circular saws are surrounded. In 2014, the world’s largest magic Association, IMS chose it as the “illusionists of the year”.
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But “The man with seven lives” lost in the Casino city, even a mild sentence would have changed anything. His work visa revoked by the immigration authority long ago. After Serving the punishment, he would be from the USA deported, said the Prosecutor’s office. (dpa)