Swedish authorities have repeatedly sought help from British police to serve charges against TV personality Dermot Clemenger, accused of 31 instances of purchasing sex. However, most charges have been dismissed due to the statute of limitations. British police require precise location details to proceed, as Clemenger remains elusive. The potential sentence diminishes as more charges expire, with a deadline looming in January 2026.
British Police's Demand to Assist Sweden in Dermot Clemenger Case
British Police's Demand to Assist Sweden in Dermot Clemenger Case
Repeatedly, Swedish police have appealed to the UK for assistance in serving Dermot Clemenger with charges against him. Once again, the British have declined but responded with a demand. Meanwhile, the charges are being dismissed one by one, potentially affecting any future sentence.
The 'Let's Dance' star Dermot Clemenger was charged with 31 counts of purchasing sex, but as he remains in hiding, most of these have expired and been dismissed. Four charges remain.
The Swedish judiciary has repeatedly sought help from British police to serve the TV personality with the charges, but after unsuccessful attempts, they have been repeatedly denied.
At the end of August, the Örebro District Court made another attempt. Once again, the British rejected the request but came with a demand.
"It May Be Possible to Attempt Service"
"Several attempts have been made to serve this person at various locations, but it seems the person is avoiding contact with the police," they replied in an email to the Örebro District Court.
"The options are quite limited for British police, as they cannot force the person to accept the summons even if they find him."
They therefore want an exact location from Swedish authorities to serve Dermot Clemenger.
"If new information about the person's whereabouts can be provided, it may be possible to attempt service again," the British wrote.
Prosecutor: How the Sentence is Affected
Even though a large part of the sex purchases Clemenger is charged with—and which he has admitted to—have now expired, imprisonment is still on the sentencing scale.
- The more crimes, the higher the penalty value; the fewer crimes, the lower the penalty value. This means that as the crimes expire, the penalty value decreases, and the length of the prison sentence that would be relevant becomes lower, says prosecutor Per Svensson.
What sentence the prosecutor will seek, he does not want to comment on.
If the police do not succeed in serving Dermot Clemenger with the charges before January 25, 2026, he will go completely free.