Gustav Hemming, a former regional councillor and long-serving member of Sweden’s Centre Party, has been charged with sexual molestation of a child after allegedly exposing and touching his genitals in front of a 13-year-old boy on the Roslagsbanan commuter train in August 2024.
The incident was captured on CCTV footage and led to Hemming’s resignation from political life in December.
In police interview transcripts accessed by Swedish news outlet SVT, Hemming acknowledged that he is the man seen in the video but denied criminal intent. He described the act as a “misjudged” moment of what he perceived to be mutual attraction.
“I do not believe that I deliberately targeted a minor,” Hemming told police. “I looked around a bit and perceived some type of contact there… I perceived a reciprocity that can be sexually arousing in an anonymous environment.”
The 13-year-old victim, however, told police that he had been looking at his phone during the train ride and looked up to discover a man masturbating nearby. “It was really strange,” the boy said. “I thought, ‘What the hell is he doing?’”
Alarmed by the encounter, the boy called his parents upon getting off the train, fearing he might be followed. In later testimony, he expressed concern about seeing the man again, saying the experience had left a lasting sense of anxiety.
Hemming told investigators he believed the boy was older, citing what he described as the teenager’s “conscious style of dress” and “a certain self-confidence.” He also claimed that because the incident occurred in the afternoon on public transport, he assumed most passengers would be of high school age or older.
He did admit, however, to a serious error in judgment. “I think that this person has reported me, which means that I have made a very big misjudgment of this person’s attitude.”
Regarding the public reaction, Hemming said the case has had a devastating effect on his personal and professional life. “Of course, I’m very ashamed. This is also something that has become big news that has reached everyone I know and a larger public. It’s not something you ever want to be a part of.”
The Centre Party refused to comment publicly on the incident following Hemming’s resignation.
Hemming is currently awaiting trial.