A prosecutor in Helsinki has filed charges against a 54-year-old man accused of attempting to abduct a nine-year-old child in the Kulosaari district of the capital in April.

The hearing at Helsinki district court will take place in two weeks time, and the suspect is currently in police custody.

The abduction took place on the morning of 22 April, as the boy was on his way to school. According to police information at the time, the suspect forced the boy into a car just before nine in the morning and started driving east from Kulosaari.

The suspect then sent a blackmail message to the child's parents, and they promptly contacted police.

He drove further east into Sipoo, removing him from the car and tying him to a tree with zip ties, leaving his face covered with cloth and tape.

However, after the suspect had left the scene, the nine-year-old was able to remove the restraints and walked to a nearby road, where a bypasser discovered the child.

"The boy acted with extraordinary courage in the situation. He also explained the events to the police very clearly and consistently, especially given his age," Detective Inspector Marko Forss said during the preliminary investigation.

Police suspect that the man planned the kidnapping in advance and that the act was specifically targeted against the boy in question. The motive was financial gain, police added.

Suspect has long criminal history

The suspect in the case has a lengthy criminal record, with the most serious of his crimes being manslaughter, for which he was convicted in Helsinki District Court in the early 2000s.

In the same case, he was also found guilty of aggravated robbery and aggravated firearms offences.

The man has also been convicted of various fraud offences, and he has changed his name several times.