Erik Andersen

Erik Andersen (born 20 March 1952), also referred to in the media as The Pocket Man (in Norwegian "Lommemannen"), is a convicted Norwegian child molester from Bergen.

The man who has been at large since 1976, has been accused of committing sex crimes against minors throughout Southern Norway.

"The Pocket Man" might have lured boys in numerous localities and has been characterized by law enforcement as a "dangerous serial criminal".

The first assault known to the police, took place in Åsane, Bergen in the latter half of 1976.

During the first years the perpetrator is said to have lured children by asking them to help change a bandage in intimate places, and he was named "The Bandage Man".

"The Pocket Man" was during one period of the investigations known as "The Bandage Man", first time in a case from Bergen in 1980.

As early as 1983 or 84 "The Pocket Man" made an attempt against two boys at Garnes in Bergen.

The boys ran away.

On 27 November 1994 "The Pocket Man" struck at a kindergarten at Søndre Nordstrand, Oslo.

The last known incident of the Pocket Man took place in Skjolden in Luster on 14 June 2006.

The police have registered about 160 cases.

The police allege that several occurrences also have not been reported.

The police realized that this was the same offender in the autumn of 2007.

Erik Andersen Hylkje in Bergen, Norway ran his own garage, Erik Andersen Lakkeringsverksted.

Andersen has been active in motor sports for several years, particularly as a trainer in Bergen Trial Team.

He is divorced and has two children.

Andersen sometimes spelled his name as Eric Andersen, despite the fact that his legal name is Erik Andersen.

DNA evidence procured in 2007 revealed that "The Bandage Man" was also active in Oslo.

The police therefore concluded that "The Bandage Man" and "The Pocket Man" were one and the same person.

He was arrested in 2008, accused of molesting hundreds of children since 1976, and in 2010, he was convicted and sentenced to preventive detention with a minimum term of 9 years, with the possibility of extension for as long as he is deemed a danger to society.

The identity of "The Pocket Man" was unknown to the police until, after several years of investigation, they identified a man from Bergen who was arrested and indicted as the perpetrator on 11 January 2008.

In August 2009 the suspect was formally indicted and charged with 60 cases, including two cases of rape of small boys.

He cannot be prosecuted for cases that are older than ten years.

The suspect has admitted to involvement in 20 of the cases.

The suspect remained anonymous until he was identified as Erik Andersen by Norway's largest daily Verdens Gang on 22 August 2009.

He was identified on the front cover of Verdens Gang, the largest newspaper of Norway, on 22 August 2009.

He was also identified by Bergens Tidende the following day.

Subsequently, he has been identified by Dagbladet, Nettavisen, TV 2, Dagsavisen, Bergensavisen and Aftenposten.

Norwegian media had previously refrained from using his name and picture as requested by the police, in order not to harm the investigation.

However, the investigation was completed in May 2009.

Legally, the media are allowed to identify suspects in criminal cases.

Bernt Olufsen stated that Verdens Gang chose to identify him because of the scale and seriousness of the crimes, which according to Olufsen meant the public had a right to know his identity.

The modus operandi of "The Pocket Man" was the same in all known cases: The perpetrator tricked young boys to touch his genitals, for instance by tricking them to "search for" a key in his pocket, where he had removed or cut a hole in the lining, or to adjust a bandage on his thigh.

The more serious offenses he is alleged to have committed include oral sex, which in some cases borders on the Norwegian criminal code's definition of rape.

The police allege that "The Pocket Man" on several occasions forced the boys to perform oral sex on him.

Oral sex is equated with intercourse in the Norwegian penal code and, if performed under coercion, has an upper limit of 21 years in prison, the maximum sentencing in Norway.

The police have later stated that the most serious case has an upper limit of 15 years.

Other commons traits of the cases are:

He was released in November 2014.

"The Pocket Man" was originally the name given by the Norwegian police and media to the then unidentified child molester.