Young hacker from Zandvoort sentenced to 4 years in jail for cybercrimes

The court in Amsterdam sentenced 21-year-old hacker Pepijn van der S. to four years in prison on Friday, one year of which is conditional. The man from Zandvoort was found guilty of hacking into corporate computer systems, extortion, and blackmail, among other charges. The court concluded that he also laundered over one and a half million euros.

The Public Prosecution Service demanded six years of imprisonment and hopes that the case will serve as a warning to other hackers.

Van der S. was arrested in January after thorough investigations by cybercrime specialists of the police. Until his arrest, he worked at a cybersecurity company and volunteered at cyber security organization DIVD.

The court reproached the defendant for using his digital skills for criminal activities for nearly three years. He inflicted substantial financial damage on multiple companies, including those abroad. He gained access to computer systems, demanded ransom for decrypting data, threatened to disclose sensitive information, and trafficked non-public data. Upon examining his computers, investigators found phishing software and stolen data from millions of people.

Several affected companies filed for damages. The court awarded them claims amounting to several hundred thousand euros.

The accused cooperated with the investigation and made confessions regarding his role. The court considered this when determining the sentence. The court also factored in Van der S.'s very young age to his benefit. The defendant struggles with significant psychological issues resulting from a troubled and unsafe childhood. His lawyer argued that Van der S. had "escaped into his computer" because of this. The court ordered that the Zandvoort resident must regularly report to probation services and undergo treatment.

Three co-defendants will stand trial later.