/ CBS/AP
Marius Borg Hoiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was sentenced to four years in prison Monday after being convicted of two counts of rape and 32 other offenses.
He was found guilty of two of the four rape charges he was facing and acquitted of the other two.
He was also convicted of assault and abuse in close relationships. In addition to the prison sentence, Hoiby was ordered to pay compensation to the victims.
Hoiby, 29, had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
He faced a total of 40 criminal charges, including some for lesser offenses, such as assault, drug-related crimes and violations of a restraining order.
Hoiby had denied the rape allegations but admitted to several of the lesser offenses.
Prosecutors had asked Oslo District Court to sentence him to seven years and seven months in prison, while defense lawyers had argued that he should be acquitted of the rape allegations and receive no more than 18 months for offenses he had admitted to.
The sentence is not final and Hoiby can appeal.
"It is only natural to consider appealing the serious charges for which he was convicted and which he did not admit," defense lawyer Ellen Holager Andenaes told AFP.
The prosecutor, Sturla Henriksbo, called the verdict "a victory for our justice system" and told AFP that it "shows that no one is beyond the law, despite who you are and who you are related to."
Hoiby was not present in court on Monday because of health reasons. He watched the reading of the verdict via a video link from prison.
The six-week trial concluded in March after testimony from multiple accusers and presentation of evidence, including messages, images and videos from Hoiby's cellphone.
The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it. Hoiby is Mette-Marit's son from a relationship she had prior to marrying Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the country's throne. Although he was raised by the royal couple and grew up in the household of the future king, Hoiby doesn't have an official public role or royal title, as his step-siblings do.
Mette-Marit's health has deteriorated as the case has drawn on. The crown princess, who has pulmonary fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant, has been at the center of legal arguments over whether her son should be granted temporary release from custody before the verdict. Appeals courts ruled that Hoiby should remain detained while awaiting judgment.
The trial has also unfolded amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family following disclosures about Mette-Marit's past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender. She has publicly apologized for the association and said she exercised poor judgment in maintaining contact with him. She isn't accused of any wrongdoing.
contributed to this report.
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