Fake talent agent sexually abused children by tricking them into sending videos: Police

A 25-year-old man from The Hague is suspected of online abuse of at least nine children aged 6 to 12 from both the Netherlands and Belgium, and nine more victims may soon cooperate in the case. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) claims that he did this by posing as a talent scout looking for new models, and asking his young victims, all girls, to send nude photos and videos in which they performed sexual acts on themselves.

The provisional summons lists nine children who have come forward and pressed charges, but the OM expects this could double. The investigation is ongoing. The man was arrested on February 6 and he confessed, the OM said on Tuesday. There were over 3,000 child pornography files found at the suspect's home, according to the OM. Since then, the police have been trying to identify as many victims as possible and made contact with the victim's parents.

The man contacted the girls via social media sites like Snapchat and TikTok and pretended to be a girl who worked for a model agency that was looking for new models. The girls sent photos to try to secure the job, which started as innocent images before becoming increasingly criminal.

The man is formally suspected of engaging in online sexual acts with underage girls, and the possession of child pornography. He is also being prosecuted for distributing child pornography because he used the material he obtained to trade for more content on the internet. He received other sexually abusive material involving children in return for this. The first preliminary hearing will be held in the District Court in The Hague on May 14.

The young age of the victims is especially notable. A 37-year-old man from Noordwijk was prosecuted for online abuse of 18 underage girls from 12 years of age and older. The District Court in Breda will soon give its decision in the biggest sextortion case in the Netherlands, where 30 victims reported the crime. The youngest victim was 12 years old in that case.

"Sexual experiences via the internet are a new reality and are becoming increasingly normal for young people. That is why it is even more important to talk with children about boundaries and the dangers of social media usage," the OM advised in a press release.

The OM hopes that other victims or parents recognize the suspect's pattern. The OM advised them to contact investigators with their local police department's sex crimes unit.

De Kindertelefoon, the GGD, HelpWanted, and Fier are organizations that all offer help and advice to children who have had bad experiences on social media.