Conspiracy theorist Huig Plug arrested for doxxing prosecution office staffer

Police arrested well-known conspiracy theorist Huig Plug, a 55-year-old from Katwijk, his relative confirmed on Facebook. The family member said a computer was taken during a police search of a home as part of the case.

The police did not confirm the arrest by name, but did report in a press release that a 55-year-old resident of Katwijk was arrested for doxxing. In the same case, police took a 54-year-old woman from Uithoorn into custody.

Doxxing is the intentional distribution of personal data as a form of intimidation. The victim in this case is an employee of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) in The Hague.

The chief prosecutor of the OM's office in The Hague has pressed charges. The police believe the suspects distributed personal data about the Public Prosecution Service employee online. One of the suspects mad an appeal for information about this employee.

The two suspects were arrested after an investigation was carried out. The Katwijk man was arrested in The Hague on Wednesday evening. The woman was arrested on Thursday in a home in Uithoorn.

Since January 1, doxxing has been a criminal offense in the Netherlands. Perpetrators risk a prison sentence of up to two years, and face fines of up to 22,500 euros. Doxxing is often aimed at journalists, politicians, judges, police officers, and care providers. For these professional groups, the penalty may be increased by a third.

The District Court in Breda convicted Plug in December of stalking, incitement to violence and defamation. The Katwijk man accused victims on social media of child abuse and infanticide. The court sentenced him to nine months in prison, five of which were probationary.