Sextortion suspect facing 6 years in jail for coercing minors to send nude photos
A 37-year-old man suspected of luring underage girls online and coercing them to send sexually-explicit content of themselves should be convicted and sent to prison for six years, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said in court on Tuesday. The Noordwijk man is accused of possessing 552 explicit photos and 75 videos from 18 underage victims. Despite the man claiming to be disturbed by his own actions, the great impact his actions had on his victims necessitates not only a jail sentence, but also mandatory treatment in a TBS psychiatric institution, the OM said.
The underage girls sent Michael L. explicit nude photos and videos because they thought they were participating in a competition, where they could win products like name brand shoes. In some instances, this developed to a point where the suspect allegedly threatened to put their photos or videos online if they refused to send him more, giving the prosecutor reason to accuse the man specifically of sextortion.
The suspect obtained 184 child pornographic images from the 18 girls using this method. More nude images were found in the man’s possession depicting girls who the police have been unable to identify. Three of the 18 girls were manipulated into masturbating in front of their camera. The man convinced them by pretending to be a good-looking 15-year-old boy.
The consequences have been severe for the victims, according to statements they shared with the District Court of The Hague. Some of the girls have problems concentrating at school and are getting poor grades, while some have been held back a year. They have been scared to tell their teachers or friends about the incidents.
One of the girls spoke in court. She was 13 when she sent a naked photograph to the suspect, she said. “I thought he was 15. It seemed innocent until he started making threats. Every threat he sent felt like a knife to my heart,” the girl added.
“I became increasingly isolated. It felt like there was no way out. I had thoughts of guilt and shame. I shut myself off from friends and family. Every day felt like a battle. I felt powerless.”
The suspect was surrounded by victims and their parents when he made his statements in court. “I have a great sense of guilt about what I have done to the victims and their families. You cannot take that away with apologies,” he said.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions today,” the suspect added. "They will be scared, angry, and unsure about what could have happened with the images,” he attempted to describe the victims' feelings. "I want to emphasize that I am very sorry.”
The prosecutor described the crime as a significant social problem. “The fact that girl’s intimate photos are in the hands of other people makes them extremely vulnerable. The suspect abused innocent girls.”
The prosecutor thinks that the suspect needs long-term treatment because the risk of recidivism is high. The OM noted that the suspect denies he has morality issues.
The court will announce its verdict on May 21.
Reporting by ANP
