Primary school assistant from Helmond accused of sexually abusing 20 children
Primary school worker Wesley W. from Helmond is suspected of a total of seven counts of sex crimes with 20 underage victims. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) suspects him of sexually abusing 18 girls and filming sexually tinted videos of two children.
W. has now been diagnosed with a pedophilic disorder. The prosecutor wants him to be checked again by a psychiatrist. This is in connection with a possible sentencing to mandatory psychiatric treatment at a tbs facility. The prosecutor said on Thursday that her sentence recommendation will be “far above” a four-year jail sentence.
The 25-year-old suspect was a teacher's assistant at a school in his hometown of Helmond. The sexual abuse allegedly happened between April 2018 and September last year at the school and at several babysitting addresses. It has been know for some time now that the case is of considerable magnitude. W. has already made a confession.
In the court in Den Bosch, it became clear that it amounted to seven different criminal offenses, including sexual penetration of six girls. He filmed the child sex abuse of 13 victims. He also forced a brother and sister who he was babysitting to touch each other inappropriately. Four girls were allegedly forced to touch W. in a sexually explicit manner.
In total, he is said to have performed sexual acts on 18 children or vice versa. In addition, he possessed already existing videos portraying child sexual abuse.
The suspect is currently at a special wing at the remand center, a so-called Extra Zorgvoorziening, which in English translates to Extra Care Facility. This has been designed for vulnerable detainees who cannot function in a regular detention center.
His lawyer, Marcel Heuvelmans, said during the previous hearing that a regular detention wing would not be safe for his client. Allegedly, W.’s cell door was being knocked on daily, and attempts were being made to open the hatch.
The court decided that another psychiatrist would be added to the investigation. The next interim hearing is on May 15.
Reporting by ANP
