Olaf H., 45, was found guilty of kidnapping, sexually abusing and then killing the boy named Mirco near his home in Grefrath, North Rhine-Westphalia last September.

Due to the gravity of the crime, Judge Herbert Luczak said he was banning Olaf H. from ever petitioning for release, unlike most people convicted of murder. He rejected the argument that the accused committed the crime due to work-related stress or that it had not been pre-meditated.

“The murder was not spontaneous,” the judge said, describing how Olaf H. had searched the area for four hours, searching for a victim.

Mirco’s killing spawned one of the largest manhunts in German history, dominating the media late last year.

According to court’s findings, after kidnapping Mirco, Olaf H. drove around with him in a car before forcing him to undress and sexually abusing him in the back of the vehicle.

He then took him into a wooded area, strangled the boy and stabbed him in the neck.

Luczak said even he was baffled by why Olaf H. committed the murder. He said he believed Olaf H. was not a paedophile, but rather wanted to experience “feelings of omnipotence” and the humiliation of another human being.

A representative for Mirco’s parents said the trial result was a “great relief for them” and a “milestone.”

The Local/DAPD/mdm