Groningen man could spend 3 years in prison over sextortion allegations
Dutch prosecutors have demanded a three-year prison sentence for a 28-year-old man from Groningen accused of committing sextortion against at least 18 victims. The suspect allegedly used a dating app to lure victims before blackmailing them through social media and messaging platforms.
The case was presented Friday in the court of Zutphen, where prosecutors detailed the suspect’s calculated approach. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the man repeatedly followed the same method: he initiated contact with victims via a dating app and then moved the conversation to WhatsApp. Once communication was established, he falsely claimed to be a minor, searched for his victims’ personal information on social media, and used that information to threaten them.
The suspect demanded money or prepaid credit vouchers, warning that he would expose his victims if they refused to comply. “That has actually happened, as he posted messages on Facebook to publicly shame his victims,” the prosecution stated.
The impact of these threats was severe, prosecutors said, pointing to the psychological toll on victims. “We often see in these types of cases that victims are driven to the extreme and may even decide to take their own lives. Committing such acts is calculated and ruthless. This is something that must be strongly condemned,” the prosecution argued in court.
Authorities traced the suspect’s activities through digital evidence seized during a search in July 2024. Police confiscated two mobile phones and a laptop, which contained thousands of files related to the dating app. The data confirmed the Groningen suspect’s involvement in sextortion, prosecutors said, and suggested the actual number of victims could be higher than the 18 who formally filed complaints.
The lead prosecutor emphasized the growing threat of online crimes like sextortion, which have seen a sharp increase in the Netherlands. “Behind every case of sextortion, there is a victim who suffers a deeply disruptive impact. This case is no different,” the prosecution stated.
