Former prosecutor’s office employee jailed for child sex abuse material, GHB possession

A 52-year-old former Public Prosecution Service (OM) employee from Doetinchem has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material and for possession of GHB. He previously held a managerial position at the Oost-Nederland prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors had recommended a 2.5-year sentence.

Devices seized from his home contained tens of thousands of images and hundreds of videos showing boys aged 8 to 14. The former prosecutor’s office employee claimed he may have downloaded the material by mistake, but the court said it was “highly unlikely” that this happened unintentionally, given the scale and consistency of the content. Judges added that his actions contributed to the continuation of child sexual abuse.

In determining the sentence, the court took into account that the man had a role model function. “Not only should the defendant have acted differently, but he also damaged public respect for and trust in the OM through his actions,” the judge said.

Police became aware of the suspect in October 2024 following a tip that he intended to purchase hard drugs, including GHB, for sex parties at his home. Officers tracked him to a planned drug deal and arrested him shortly after, subsequently confiscating his electronic devices and data storage.

The OM said during the trial that the suspect shared child sexual abuse material with acquaintances and allegedly encouraged a friend to commit abuse involving his foster children. That friend and his partner were arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse, and the children were taken out of the home.