Dutch man convicted of child sex abuse via video game; Sentenced to 9 years

A 31-year-old man, Mohamed B., was sentenced to nine years in prison and mandatory clinical psychiatric care by a Breda court on Thursday. He was convicted of sexually extorting dozens of children, including the repeated rape of one victim and the sexual assault of another.

Initiated by a 2022 sextortion complaint, the investigation revealed that B. used the gaming platform Zepeto to systematically infiltrate the victims' digital lives. The court noted the “highly sophisticated” nature of his methods, which spanned from July 2021 through August 2024.

After contacting the victims and winning their confidence, B. lured or forced them to produce explicit photos and videos. He leveraged threats to ensure compliance, claiming he would harm their families or leak the footage online.

During the investigation, police discovered footage involving 72 children, 50 of whom have been identified. The prosecution ultimately presented the case files of 29 children to the court. Additionally, the verdict notes that authorities found child abuse material involving unidentified victims, totaling 34,000 images.

B. met with two children in person, repeatedly raping one and sexually assaulting the other. According to the investigation, clinical assessments confirmed that B. has a pedophilic disorder, among other psychological issues.

The Public Prosecution Service had recommended a sentence of eight years in prison along with mandatory psychiatric treatment (tbs).