Ten years in prison for Dutch people convicted in Ecuador for child pornography

Two Dutch suspects, Marthijn U. and Lesley L., were convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison in Ecuador for producing and selling child pornography. The court in Sucre, Manabí ruled there was sufficient evidence to convict the two, according to media in the South American country. A third person, from Belarus, was acquitted.

The duo were members of a network of pedophiles, the investigation showed. They recruited children between the ages of 8 and 12. The victims were approached via their parents. The network offered several items to the families, including money and toys.

The Dutch people were arrested last year in a hotel in the seaside town of Canoa. The town is located in the northern area of the Manabí province.

Marthijn U. is the former chair of the banned pedophile party, Martijn. The pedophile association was banned and dissolved by the Dutch Supreme Court in 2014 because its members glorified and propagated sexual relations between adults and children.

U. and Norbert de J., another former member, were both convicted and sentenced in March 2022 for continuing to operate the association. They were sentenced to prison terms of four and six months, respectively.