The public prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of 24 months, of which 12 months conditional, against a 24-year-old man from Beverwijk. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the defendant is guilty of (attempted) seduction and grooming of underage boys from his role as a football coach. Additionally, the defendant forged his VOG, allowing him to continue working with minors at an elementary school. “You did not just go a step too far, you really went miles too far,” said the public prosecutor during the hearing.
(Attempted) Seduction and Grooming
As a football coach, the defendant approached underage boys from youth teams. The initially positive contact he had with the boys, whom he sometimes knew for years, turned into pressure and nagging for intimate photos, kisses, and mutual masturbation around their 11th/12th year. If his requests were not met, he offered the boys money, ice cream, drinks, shoes, or tickets for Ajax matches.
Between March 2021 and June 2023, the defendant is said to have created thirteen victims, all aged between 11 and 14 years. Some victims report feeling like they had fallen into a tunnel with no way out. The public prosecutor stated during the hearing, “The defendant abused his role as a football coach and the significant age difference between him and his victims.”
Forging the Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG)
It has been established that the defendant forged his Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). The defendant was released under conditions from pre-trial detention at the end of 2023. After it became clear at the end of 2024 that he was working as a gym teacher at an elementary school, it emerged that he had used a forged VOG during that application process. He was arrested again in December 2024 and has been in custody since then.
A VOG is mandatory in education and is intended to ensure the safety and well-being of students. As a parent, you must be able to trust that your child is in safe hands. Even during the hearing, the defendant showed no insight into the seriousness of forging such a legally required document.
Prison Sentence
The prosecutor: “The Public Prosecution Service takes it seriously that the defendant approached young children who looked up to him, who were under his influence through football, in this manner over a longer period. His attitude, where he shifts all blame away from himself, partly even towards the boys, the lack of awareness of the seriousness of his behavior, the forgery of a VOG to be able to continue working with children, and pushing boundaries, make a prison sentence and substantial treatment necessary.” The Public Prosecution Service has demanded a prison sentence of 24 months, of which 12 months conditional with a probation period of 3 years. The Public Prosecution Service also demanded a behavior-influencing and freedom-restricting measure (GVM) and contact bans with the victims.
The court will deliver its verdict in 2 weeks.