Uzbek national detained at Riga shopping centre for offering money to minors for sexual acts

On September 18, officers from the State Police Riga Regional Department detained an Uzbekistani citizen, born in 1998, at a shopping centre in Riga after he approached underage girls and offered them money in exchange for engaging in sexual acts.

How the arrest unfolded

Police received a report the same day: the girls had turned to store employees for help, who immediately alerted police and prevented the suspect from leaving the scene. Responding officers detained the man on site.

The detained man is in Latvia legally, holding a one-year work visa issued on September 16 — just days before his arrest.

Criminal proceedings

A criminal case has been opened under Section 162.1, Part Two of the Criminal Law, which addresses inducing minors to engage in sexual activity. The law provides for a prison sentence of up to five years, short-term imprisonment, or probationary supervision for such an offence.

Two minors have been recognized as victims in the case. The suspect has been remanded in custody as a security measure. Police state the man had no prior record with law enforcement.

The investigation is ongoing, and the State Police is refraining from further comment at this stage. Police note that no person is considered guilty until proven so in accordance with the law.