McCann suspect charged with sex crimes

Prosecutors in Germany have charged the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann disappearance with five sex crimes that took place in Portugal. Two of those include attacks on children.

The court issued five charges against Christian Brückner, aged 45. He is also being investigated for the suspected murder of Madeleine. 

Madeleine disappeared from an apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007. The new charges do not relate to the McCann case.

Brückner, a German national, is currently serving a seven-year prison term in Germany for raping an elderly American woman, in 2005, in Praia da Luz. However, it has been alleged that he committed more crimes over a 17 year period.

In two cases, Brückner broke into his victims' apartments, tied them up, and then raped them. He also assaulted them with a whip, according to prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters.

In a further case, Brückner is accused of raping a teenage girl whom he seemingly held captive in his apartment. In each instant prosecutors say that he recorded events on a video camera.

He has also been accused of forcing sexual encounters on young girls in public spaces on the Portuguese coast. 

German prosecutors said yesterday that the McCann murder investigation was ongoing, but refused to give further details. Brückner is convicted paedophile.