Svein Ludvigsen


Svein Harald Ludvigsen is a Norwegian former politician for the Conservative Party and a convicted sex offender. He served as a member of parliament, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, minister of fisheries, and county governor of Troms. In 2019 he was convicted of sexually abusing three young men, and sentenced to five years imprisonment; his conviction and sentence became final in January 2020.

Political career

Ludvigsen was born in Hillesøy, the son of a fishing boat captain. Before entering politics Ludvigsen worked as a businessman and local banker. On the local level, Ludvigsen was a member of the executive committee of Tromsø municipal council in the periods 1971-1975, 1979-1983, and 1987-1989. He has chaired the municipal and county party chapters, and from 1990 to 1991 he was deputy leader of the Conservative Party nationwide.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms county in 1989, and was re-elected on two occasions. From 2001 to 2005, when the second Bondevik cabinet held office, Ludvigsen was Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs. In 2001, he was appointed County Governor of Troms, but because of his job as cabinet minister he assumed the office on 17 January 2006.

Conviction for sexual abuse

On the 4 July 2019, he was convicted of abusing his position to gain sexual favours from three vulnerable male persons and sentenced to five years imprisonment.