DORDRECHT, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch police have initiated a social media campaign aimed at locating and assisting girls and young women, some residing in the United States, who were deceived into sharing explicit images of themselves, subsequently leading to online abuse and blackmail in a large-scale “sextortion” case.
The investigation was sparked by a tip-off from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and has revealed that over 50 victims, aged between 13 and 20, have been abused across at least six countries: the United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Montenegro, and Canada. The primary suspect is a 22-year-old Dutch man, referred to as Damian A. in accordance with Dutch privacy laws. He was arrested early last year, with his trial commencing on Wednesday in Dordrecht, where a verdict is anticipated within weeks. Both prosecutors and the suspect's lawyer have stated that he has confessed to his actions.
Milou van der Kolk from the Rotterdam Police Sexual Crimes Team expressed grave concern regarding the extreme and intense experiences faced by the victims. She noted that evidence collected from the suspect's computer and other devices raises fears that additional victims remain unidentified.
The suspect allegedly operated under the online alias “Turpien,” often instructing his victims to mark their bodies or signs with the phrase “Owned by Turpien” as they engaged in increasingly demeaning acts. Furthermore, he reportedly sold images of his victims to third parties.
The Dutch campaign aims to reassure victims that the individual responsible for their exploitation is now incarcerated and poses no further threat, according to Van der Kolk. This situation underlines the critical nature of robust international collaboration, as emphasized by the attache of the Homeland Security Investigations agency in The Hague, Eben Roberts. He highlighted that such partnerships are vital for the protection of children online and for efficiently investigating and prosecuting cross-border offenders.
Roberts also pointed out that the Dutch initiative, which includes links and contact information for victims seeking help, is closely aligned with a U.S. campaign named Know2Protect, which focuses on combating online child exploitation. Prosecutors have revealed that a psychiatric evaluation of the suspect identified him as having “an autism spectrum disorder and a sexual sadism disorder.” They have requested a nine-year prison sentence along with mandatory psychiatric treatment, with charges including online assault, online rape, extortion, and the production, possession, and distribution of child pornography.
According to police and prosecutors, the abuse reportedly began when the suspect misled victims into sharing explicit content by posing as a female of their age. He then threatened to publicly disclose the images unless they provided more. This case highlights the growing online dangers facing young individuals.
The prosecutors remarked that “sextortion” is a burgeoning societal issue, citing a 46% rise in online sex crimes in the Netherlands in 2025 compared to the previous year, totaling over 3,000 reported cases.
