Limburg man suspected of sexually abusing over 150 girls via online game

A 40-year-old man from Herten, Limburg, is suspected of online abuse involving more than 150 underage girls, 40 of whom are from the Netherlands. On Tuesday, he faced judges for the first time at an open court session. Prosecutors say he made contact with the girls by means of a computer game he had partly created himself.

Under the guise of the “Highscoregame,” the man drew girls in with tasks that appeared harmless at first. What began as simple actions, like waving at the camera, eventually escalated into “increasingly progressive sexual acts for the webcam,” the prosecution says, with the girls mostly performing alone in front of the webcam. He was found with 300 videos of girls aged 9 to 17, with the OM noting his activities date back to 2017.

Prosecutors say the suspect threatened to release the footage online or to the victim’s parents if they did not comply. Justice officials added that some of the girls, drawn into the blackmailer’s scheme through the game, can be seen crying in the recordings.

The man was taken into custody on October 1 after U.S. authorities provided information that led police to him. Prosecutors say he reportedly participated in a dark web forum where child sexual abuse material was circulated.

Authorities have not yet identified all the victims. Identified girls could soon be approached by police and victim support organizations.

The District Court in Rotterdam has decided that the suspect will remain in custody. The main hearing of the case is scheduled for June 26.

Digital platforms and online tools are becoming a growing challenge in combating child sexual abuse. Recent studies indicate that over 50 percent of Europe’s child sexual abuse content is stored on servers in the Netherlands.