Zoetermeer school janitor suspected of child sex abuse; Previously reported 2 years ago
A janitor at a Zoetermeer primary school was arrested early this month on suspicion of sexually abusing two girls and possession and production of child pornography, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported this week. A report was filed against the man two years ago, a spokesperson for Unicoz, the educational group that covers the school, told Omroep West.
The 57-year-old man emerged as a suspect in child pornography, the OM said. He was active on an encrypted messaging app that the police were investigating.
According to the OM, the suspect secretly recorded children at the Zoetermeer primary school. “Because [the photos and videos] depict young children, they could potentially be classified as child pornography,” the OM said.
He is also suspected of sexually abusing two girls. “These were brief, superficial touchings, which could legally be classified as indecent acts. The parents of these girls have been notified by the police.”
The police are investigating the images seized from the man. “The digital investigation will take a long time because it involves hundreds of thousands of images and videos,” the OM said.
A spokesperson for Unicoz, which covers the involved primary school, told Omroep West that a parent filed a report against the janitor with the internal confidential advisor two years ago. There was a meeting with the janitor, the involved parent, and the principal. The spokesperson did not disclose the nature of the report nor the details of the meeting. No police report was filed.
According to Unicoz, the police confiscated the janitor’s digital devices before the summer. The man reported this to the principal and called in sick. He has since been denied access to the school.
Parents are shocked, Omroep West reports. A father with a daughter in the sixth grade at the school told the broadcaster that the janitor helped the younger children change their pants if they wet themselves.
A mother with three daughters at the school said she had trouble sleeping after hearing the news. “You want your child to be safe at school. You always assume that. And then it turns out that’s not the case,” she told the broadcaster.
The man was arrested on September 2. On September 11, a court remanded him into custody for 90 days while the investigation continues.
