The magistrate imposes a two-month unconditional prison sentence on a 23-year-old man from Rotterdam suspected of sextortion. The judge agreed with the prosecutor that the defendant is guilty of extorting the victim by threatening to publish one or more (private) videos of a sexual nature if she did not give him money.
In the criminal case that was heard on Monday, the victim met the defendant on March 4, 2024, via a dating site. They continued to talk on Snapchat, and the defendant asked her to pay his two fines. The victim said she wanted to help him, and the defendant arranged a hotel room where they could meet. In the meantime, they video-called each other, and the defendant took the opportunity to make sexually suggestive images and videos of the victim. She found this uncomfortable and asked why he was saving those images. When the defendant said he was doing this so he had something in case she would trick him, the victim had doubts about the meeting. Nevertheless, she agreed to meet on March 4. The next day, the defendant asked for the money again. At that moment, she could not transfer anything, which made the defendant angry, and he threatened to send the images to her family. The victim felt compelled to do everything possible to gather the amount needed by the defendant. In total, the victim borrowed €4,700 from friends and family, increased her ATM limit so the defendant could withdraw money with her card, and gave him goods that he could sell.
The prosecutor determined that, in the view of the Public Prosecution Service, there is sufficient evidence that the defendant is guilty of sextortion. “The defendant unlawfully took a lot of money and belongings from the victim in a short time in March 2024 through extortion. Threatening to distribute sexually suggestive images is punishable,” said the prosecutor. He emphasized that the victim has nothing to be ashamed of and that the blame lies with one person, the defendant. The prosecutor demands a one-month prison sentence.
The prosecutor requests the judge to grant the claim of the injured party. The judge agrees. In addition to the material damage, the judge also awards €1,600 for immaterial damage. The judge sentences the man from Rotterdam to two months in prison.
Sextortion or sexual extortion is a form of cybercrime in which especially young people, but also adults, are convinced via the internet to send intimate images of themselves. The recipients of the images then threaten to distribute everything if the victim does not pay. Sextortion is punishable because it is both extortion and fraud.