Basketball coach convicted of secretly recording kids in locker room; No more jail time

The Noord-Holland District Court has sentenced a basketball coach to 180 hours of community service for filming boys in a changing room in Landsmeer. In addition to the service order, the defendant received a 180-day suspended prison sentence, conditional upon his cooperation with mandatory psychiatric treatment.

For a period of two years, the suspect secretly recorded boys aged 10 to 15. He used a mobile phone concealed in a jacket hanging on a coat rack in the boys' changing room, with the camera lens aimed at the showers through a hole in the fabric.

The recordings were remotely controlled via a smartphone app. Additionally, the suspect was found to have possessed and downloaded child sex abuse videos for approximately 12 years.

The court ruled that the suspect had flagrantly violated the privacy of the young boys and convicted him of possession of child sex abuse videos. The gravity of the offense was compounded by the fact that the defendant had been previously cautioned for similar conduct.

At the same time, the suspect was cooperative and participated in treatment programs. He has also been banned for life from the basketball club.

Consequently, the court decided not to return the man to prison, opting instead for continued treatment. His sentence includes mandatory reporting, a restraining order from the basketball club's premises, and monitored internet usage.