Alleged pimp facing 4 years in prison for forcing vulnerable women into prostitution
The Public Prosecution (OM) demanded prison and community service sentences against a man and two women who allegedly forced two vulnerable women into prostitution. The victims were detained against their will in hotels in The Hague and Delft, and were forced to hand over most of the cash they received from anyone they were forced to engage with sexually.
The Public Prosecution Service asserted that the suspects sexually exploited two vulnerable young women for personal gain. The prosecutor argued that the cases involved forced prostitution, not willing prostitution, as the defense claimed.
The suspects in court this week include a 30-year-old man, a 25-year-old from Hoorn, and a 21-year-old from Amsterdam. A fourth suspect, a 20-year-old woman from Amsterdam who was underage at the time of the incident, will appear at a later date in juvenile court.
Forced prostitution in The Hague and Delft
The first case dates back to the summer of 2021, when a 20-year-old woman from The Hague found herself in a hotel room in her hometown. She had been invited to hang out with the Amsterdam girl, who at that time was one of the victim's friends. Once there, the victim's debit card and phone were taken by her friend and the 21-year-old woman from Amsterdam, the OM stated.
The victim was beaten and forced to undress. Nude photos were taken and used for online sex work advertisements. She was then forced to participate in video calls while she was naked with potential people who were considering paying to have sex with her, the OM claimed.
She was then coerced into having sex with a man in a hotel in Delft, who paid her 300 euros, the prosecutor said. Afterwards, she was forced to hand the money over to the 30-year-old male suspect accused of leading the scheme. He then attempted to set up more arrangements for others to have sex with her, the OM claimed.
Sex trafficking scheme from behind bars
In a prior incident while the man was incarcerated, prosecutors said he led a plot where he forced a woman into prostitution and exploited her for a period of two months. He managed this, from prison, with the help of the 25-year-old woman from Hoorn.
During the trial, the man claimed to be the woman's manager, but the OM said it found evidence of threatening language and violent threats in their direct message conversations. In one message he allegedly told the victim, "I will break bones in your body," and in another asked, "Have you ever taken a karate kick from someone?"
The evidence presented also included an audio recording from inside a hotel room in The Hague. The evidence is clear that the woman did not elect to be a sex worker, the OM said. Someone in that position "is not forcibly forced to cooperate in making sex advertisements. She decides for herself which sexual acts she performs, this is not determined for her. She determines the price and whether she practices unsafe sex." the OM said.
"He gave the victim instructions for creating advertisements for sex. Because the vulnerable woman needed help with that, he asked the 25-year-old from Hoorn to arrange it," the OM said. Again, the victim was allegedly forced to pay most of the money she collected to the perpetrators. Someone who voluntarily works as a prostitute determines for herself with whom she shares her income, and does not have to ask whether she will receive some of it."
Prosecutor demands 4 years in prison, or community service
The OM recommended that all three suspects be convicted for the crimes specified. The prosecution demanded that the 30-year-old man serve four years in prison, and additional mandatory detention in a psychiatric facility.
The 25-year-old from Hoorn should serve 240 hours of community service, the prosecutor said. The 21-year-old Amsterdam resident involved should be sentenced to 200 hours of community service. This was determined using sentencing guidelines under adolescent criminal law, the OM said.
The underage friend who allegedly brought the 20-year-old woman to the hotel in The Hague in 2021 will later appear in juvenile court.
The verdict will be delivered on May 22.
