Long Community Service and Suspended Prison Sentence for Attempted Human Trafficking

News Report | 21-01-2026 | 12:48

In June 2023, the police created a decoy profile on a dating site for men. The profile information clearly indicated that it was a young boy who wanted to earn money. Soon the suspect contacted the profile and an extensive chat conversation ensued. Then the age of the virtual profile was shared with the suspect. That did not matter much to him, as the man from Den Bosch wanted to rent him out as a ‘bitch’ and said that a lot of money could be earned. Besides arranging sex appointments, he also wrote that he could produce content with him. The sex appointments would take place in hotels, at his home, or in parking lots. The man also wanted sex himself. Preferably in a shed so the boy could get used to the setting of a parking lot.

The trap closes

When the suspect gives the boy an address in Den Bosch, the trap definitively closes. The police send an officer to the street. At first, the suspect deliberately gives a wrong house number with the message that the correct house number would be given when the boy arrives. According to the public prosecutor, this shows that the suspect acted very calculatedly. When the man from Den Bosch realizes something is wrong, he breaks off all contact. But the police then know who the suspect is and where he is based on his phone data. He can be arrested and is held for several days.

Serious offense

According to the Public Prosecution Service, human trafficking is a very serious offense. It is known that not only girls fall prey to traffickers, but also many (young) boys. There is a lot of interest in sex with underage boys for payment and there are enough perpetrators who want to make a lot of money from it. Although this is not directly visible in the figures, the number of male victims of sexual exploitation has been strikingly low at less than 6% in recent years, it is a big problem. Especially because the actual number of victims is very likely much higher because, for example, no reports are made out of fear.

In the Netherlands, prostitution by minors is never allowed. Protection of minors is paramount. They must not be seduced, encouraged, or ‘helped’ to work in prostitution. “The suspect did not seem to fully realize this and still did not really see the punishability,” said the public prosecutor. “The ease with which he thought he could profit from a minor is shocking. The fact that the person he chatted with was not actually underage does not detract from the reprehensibility of his actions.”

Explanation of sentence demand

When determining the sentence demand, the Public Prosecution Service took several factors into account. The man has a clean criminal record, fully cooperated with the investigation, and has undergone extensive treatments. The chance that he will again seek contact with underage boys with bad intentions is therefore considered low. It is also taken into account that the offense was committed in 2023.

The court will probably announce its verdict in about two weeks.