Two arrested at Schiphol in child porn investigation

Two men were arrested at Schiphol airport on suspicion of involvement in child pornography and child sex tourism. The suspects, a couple aged 57 and 59 years from Krommenie, were about to leave for Thailand when they were arrested, the Public Prosecutor announced on Friday.

The two men are suspected of sexually abusing children via a webcam live-stream. They came into the picture during an international investigation into a criminal group in the Philippines that provides live-streams showing sexual abuse of children. According to the prosecutor, the men made thousands of euros in payments to this criminal group.

The investigation also revealed that the two Dutch men regularly traveled to countries in Southeast Asia and Gambia. According to the prosecutor, these places are known as "important destinations for child sex tourists". The authorities are investigating whether the men also abused children in these countries.

The men's homes were searched in April and large quantities of child pornography were confiscated. The investigating judge extended their custody with two weeks on Friday.