The man contacted the women through chatrooms of online video games or social media platforms. After weeks or months, the contact moved to WhatsApp or they met in person. In total, the contact between the women and the man lasted months or even years, and the man managed to get the women to send him sexually explicit material. He also obtained login codes for the womens social media accounts, which gave him access to private material.
Subsequently, the man from Vlaardingen threatened to distribute the material online or share the photos with the womens family and friends. To prevent this, the women had to pay him. In total, the man received more than 10,000 euros from the women.
Investigation Continues
The women are from various cities, namely Arnhem, Doetinchem, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Breda. Additional reports from other victims may be linked to the case. The impact of sexual extortion on the victims is enormous.
During the mans arrest, mobile data carriers, such as phones and a laptop, were seized for investigation. The man is currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
Fear and Shame
“There is fear and shame among victims of these crimes. Boys, girls, but also adult men and women can be victims. The difficult part is that the victim thinks they are to blame and that they ended up in this situation through their own fault. Let it be clear; the victim is never to blame for sextortion. I would also like to advise anyone in this situation to talk about it. Seek help. The Center for Sexual Violence and HelpWanted are organizations that are there for you. Of course, you can always call the police for advice,” says Elles van Veenen of the East Netherlands sex crimes unit.
What is Sextortion
Sextortion is a combination of the English words sex and extortion. We speak of sextortion when someone is blackmailed with sexually explicit (image) material. This can be a nude photo or video, but it can also involve fictitious sexually explicit material or sexually explicit chat conversations that you do not want to leak. Usually, the criminal demands money or more material.
