Man gets 8 years for sexually abusing niece, 13

Michel M. from Winschoten was sentenced to eight years in prison and institutionalized psychiatric treatment for various sex crimes against his 13-year-old niece. The court in Groningen convicted the 45-year-old man of sexually abusing, exploiting and making child pornography of the girl, NU.nl reports. 

The girl was sexually abused for two years, starting early in 2015. M. forced her to have sex with other men while she was tied up. The girl had to film the abuse herself, and send it to her uncle. She was sometimes given drugs like cannabis and cocaine beforehand. M. advertised the girl in sex ads and also abused her himself. 

M. previously denied that he forced the girl, saying she wanted to do it. He was arrested after the girl went to the police in June last year. So far the Public Prosecutor identified seven men who sexually abused the girl. The investigation is still ongoing. 

The judge called it distressing that M. knew that the girl came from a family with problems and that he acted as her confidant. It could not be proven that M. received money from the men who abused the girl, but that does not alter the fact that he is guilty of human trafficking, the judge said. 

The sentence is equal to what the Public Prosecutor demanded. M. must also pay his victim over 100 thousand euros in compensation.