A Danish national currently working in Manhattan, New York City, has been accused of sexually abusing at least 13 children during an internship at a preschool.

Malthe Thomsen allegedly placed the hands of nine children on his genital region, pressed one child's face against his genitals and rubbed the buttocks of three others.

The children were both male and female and were between four and five years old.

It was an assistant teacher at the school who witnessed the abuse and alerted the authorities.

However, when the school conducted a full investigation – including secretly monitoring Thomsen and interviewing his co-workers – they did not find any conclusive evidence, reports the New York Daily.

Was it a confession?
Following his arrest, Thomsen apparently gave an hour-long confession to the authorities.

“Well, I was told there were accusations of me putting kids’ hands on my lap," he said.

"I don’t have any memory, but if that’s what people are saying then maybe it’s possible."

Thomsen’s lawyer refuses to acknowledge this as a confession, arguing that he was worn down by the authorities and gave them this answer to end the interrogation.

Mishandled case
Additionally, his lawyer has complained that the police did not inform Thomsen of his option to contact the Danish consulate.

Nevertheless, Thomsen remains in custody after being refused bail at the initial hearing.   

The maximum penalty for child sex abuse is seven years in prison per child, so he could in theory be imprisoned for up to 91 years.