Ter Aar man jailed 8 years for sexual abuse of Filipino girls via webcam

Eric van K., 52, from Ter Aar, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Dordrecht court for repeatedly abusing very young Filipino girls online over several years. Prosecutors had requested that he also receive compulsory psychiatric treatment, but the court declined, citing insufficient grounds. The prison term is shorter than the prosecution’s recommendation of 10 years' prison, as not all charges were proven.

Between June 2020 and November 2024, Van K. abused victims via webcam and chat platforms. The court labeled the crimes “extremely serious and reprehensible.” It found that he arranged for the girls to be abused for payment, in some cases by their own parents, and was highly insistent in his demands and communications. “At no point did the suspect consider the welfare of these young girls,” the ruling stated.

The case surfaced in a major U.S. probe into child exploitation, leading Dutch police to raid Van K.'s home on May 8, 2025, seizing devices with evidence of chats with 11 facilitators. His arrest followed in August 2025.

Prosecutors say he paid over 15,000 euros for the abuse, making 500 separate payments. These payments were often to facilitators like the victims' mothers. One such mother received a 90-year sentence in the Philippines for her role.

Van K. has admitted to being addicted to sex and has been diagnosed with a pedophilic disorder. The court expressed the hope that any parole release would include mandatory treatment. The decision on this condition rests with the Public Prosecution Service.

Live-streamed abuse via "facilitators" marks a rising trend in online child sex tourism, harder to detect than travel-based cases, per Dutch authorities. Similar Dutch prosecutions involved men from Almelo and Spijk paying for Philippine livestreams.