Three men could spend months in jail for paid sexual contact with a minor

Three of the 14 men accused of having sexual intercourse with minors being trafficked in the Netherlands should be convicted and sentenced to up to four months in prison, the Public Prosecution Service said. The three brought before the District Court in Breda on Tuesday are 22, 24, and 39 years of age, and come from either Rotterdam or The Hague.

The clients, recruited through advertisements, were identified through payment records, often made via the instant cash transferring app, Tikkie. The OM accused all three engaged in multiple paid sexual encounters with the same girl. A lawyer for one of the suspects argued that the recorded payments do not prove that sexual acts actually occurred.

The cases are part of a broader judicial investigation into the sexual exploitation of underage girls. Earlier in the month, two men and a woman went on trial for allegedly recruiting and exploiting the girls. Prosecutors have recommended prison sentences of up to four and a half years for these suspects, where similar crimes could command prison terms of 15 years.

One of the victims who pressed charges said that she was given money in exchange for having sex with 300 to 400 men. She was 16 and 17 years old during this. The meetings occurred in hotels, cars, and clients’ homes. Ten more men are set to stand trial within a week, and another has already been convicted.

In her victim statement, the girl wrote, "I wouldn’t wish anyone to go through what I experienced at such a young age." She explained that she felt lonely at the time and made "very wrong choices" while searching for affirmation and recognition.

“Underage prostitutes do not exist,” the prosecutor stated on Tuesday in her arguments for the jail terms. “Children found in prostitution are, by definition, victims of others, of society, of the client, and sometimes of themselves.”

Although the age of consent in the Netherlands is 16, it is illegal to pay someone under 18 years of age for sexual activity, including participation in videos of photographs. A conviction for paying for intercourse with a minor carries a sentence of up to four years in prison, and fines of up to 25,750 euros.

The responsibility to verify someone is legally participating in sex work lies with the client, the prosecutor said. “If the client takes responsibility, there is no ‘market’ for youth prostitution.” Arrangements for paid sex outside the legal framework carry risks.

“As a client, you know you are entering a shadowy world and must be extra careful.” According to her, the suspects did not do this; they did not check whether they were dealing with an adult sex worker.

The prosecutor stated that the suspects also failed to own up to their role in the criminal investigation, either by denying their actions or remaining silent. One suspect did not appear before the court, and did not provide an explanation for skipping the hearing.

A ruling in all of the cases is scheduled for December 11.