Top Dutch athlete focus of child sex abuse case; approached dozens of kids on Snapchat
A 35-year-old man who has been active in the Groningen region as a top volleyball player is suspected of sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy, prosecutors said in court on Wednesday. Investigators believe he also approached dozens, if not hundreds, of children on Snapchat, potentially engaging in sexually suggestive or abusive conversations with them.
Little has been officially confirmed about the man’s identity other than his age, but he is believed to be Amsterdam native Ramon M.G. The authorities suspect him of having approximately 500 potentially criminal conversations with children aged 8 to 17 on Snapchat, RTV Noord reported after the first public hearing against the man in the Groningen District Court.
So far, the police have identified three victims, including the 10-year-old boy sexually abused on June 1, 2024, in Hoogkerk, Groningen. According to the Telegraaf, M.G. is accused of involvement in "one or more sexual acts," including contact with the boy's genitals. He allegedly had sexual conversations online with two others, including a nine-year-old from Kollum, Friesland. His parents contacted police about the matter.
The OM currently thinks it will be able to confirm that the man attempted to groom or have sexualized chats with around 75 children, dating back to the start of 2023, and continuing up until his arrest. Investigators examined two of the man’s phones and discovered the conversations with children.
Authorities also found child sex abuse images on devices, including content he may have produced, the OM said. Some of this material is from 2019, the Telegraaf reported. The study into his personal devices is ongoing.
M.G. played for Lycurgus Groningen during the 2023-2024 season, and played with Apeldoorn club Draisma/Dynamo the seasons before and after. Lycurgus is about 10 kilometers from Hoogkerk, and 35 kilometers from Kollum.
Ramon M.G. made headlines as likely the first professional athlete to be openly homosexual in the Netherlands. He is also believed to be the first openly gay professional sportsman in Belgium, where he played for Prefaxis Menen in 2014, in Greece, where he played for PAOK Thessaloniki in 2017 and later at Iraklis V.C., and in France, where he was active with Spacer's Toulouse in 2018 and Cambrai Volleyball three years later.
The OM has provided very little information about the case. That is partly because not all of the victims have been identified. The OM has also not yet confronted the suspect with the findings, and have not yet questioned him about them.
The suspect was remanded into custody and will undergo a psychiatric evaluation soon. The investigation is ongoing. The next preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 21.
