TikTok influencer convicted of child sex abuse now teaching intern
A Dutch influencer repeatedly convicted of sexually abusing underage boys was able to run an officially recognized internship company in Arnhem, where students were invited to apply, Omroep Gelderland reported.
Bjorn, who runs the media company Hutsakeee, was certified by the Samenwerking Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven (SBB) from March 2021 to April 2022. The approval came in 2021 without a required certificate of good conduct, or VOG. The company was later removed from the registry because it failed to respond to inspections.
Bjorn had already been convicted once before the recognition and was sentenced again in 2022 for abusing two boys.
The court said he had “an extensive history of professional care” and that he sought “admiration and validation in contact with underage boys,” with probation officers judging the risk of reoffending as high.
Victims told Omroep Gelderland that Bjorn kept contacting minors online. One said: “I looked up to him a little bit. He had contact with big rappers, like Yes-R. Because I notice that he continues.”
A 15-year-old named Melvin, whose name was changed for privacy, said Bjorn contacted him via TikTok, quickly asked for nude photos, and sent some himself. “He once asked me to come to his house to play games. I didn’t go. To give him recognition as a learning company where children can work for him, that makes no sense.”
Youth group JOB MBO called the case “shocking.” Chairman Maurits Brus said: “I think something went wrong here. To be a teacher at an MBO school you need a VOG. In fact, you move the school to the internship location. We would not find it strange if a VOG were legally required there too.”
The MBO Raad, representing vocational schools, said internships must be safe but noted ex-offenders can still be “valuable practical supervisors.”
Education Minister Gouke Moes said he will meet soon with SBB and Justis, which issues VOGs. “I want to explore the option of making a VOG mandatory for sole proprietorships,” he said, citing the greater risks of one-on-one supervision.
