world
Dutch Police Launch Social Media Campaign to Identify Victims in International Sextortion Case
Dutch police have initiated a social media campaign to locate and assist girls and young women victimized in a sextortion case originating from a U.S. tip. The investigation has identified over 50 victims aged 13 to 20 across six countries, with the 22-year-old suspect on trial in Dordrecht.
Substrate placeholder — needs reviewAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
DORDRECHT, Netherlands — Dutch police have launched a social media campaign to identify and provide assistance to girls and young women targeted in a sextortion case. The victims, some located in the United States, were coerced into sharing explicit images and then blackmailed online.
The campaign includes contact information for seeking help and informs potential victims that the suspect is in custody.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. It has confirmed that more than 50 girls and women, aged 13 to 20, were victimized in at least six countries: the United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Montenegro, and Canada.
The suspect, a 22-year-old Dutch man identified as Damian A. under Dutch privacy rules, was arrested in early 2023 and his trial started on Wednesday in Dordrecht.
the suspect's lawyer state that he has confessed to the offenses.
A psychiatric assessment determined that the suspect has an autism spectrum disorder and a sexual sadism disorder. He faces charges of online assault, online rape, extortion, and producing, possessing, and distributing child pornography, with prosecutors requesting a nine-year prison sentence and compulsory psychiatric treatment.
The suspect used the online moniker 'Turpien' and allegedly tricked victims into sharing explicit images by posing as a woman of their age.
He then threatened to distribute the images unless they sent more, and in some cases, ordered victims to perform degrading acts, including writing 'Owned by Turpien' on their bodies. Material on his devices indicated additional unidentified victims, and he allegedly sold images to others.
van der Kolk from the Rotterdam Police Sexual Crimes Team stated that the experiences of the victims were extreme and intense, and that more victims may exist.
