Headline:
Three Middle-Aged Men Accused of Years of Exploiting and Abusing a Teenager; Right-Bench Hearing Held
Subheading:
Young boy allegedly used as ‘sex slave,’ with misconduct dating back nine years when he was just 11 years old
Article:
Three men in their mid-50s have been accused by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) of years of exploitation and abuse of a minor boy. This was uncovered during a first preparatory hearing at the Utrecht District Court on Tuesday.
The suspects, a 60-year-old from Huizen and two men aged 59 and 54 from Amersfoort, are alleged to have used the vulnerable teenager as a ‘sex slave’ for a prolonged period. RTV Utrecht, in collaboration with NOS, reports that the case dates back to when the boy was 11 years old.
According to the OM, the abuse began nine years ago when the boy ran away from home and was taken in by one of the suspects, who acted as a father figure and provided him with hard drugs such as GHB and ketamine, leading to severe addiction. The suspects allegedly created profiles on dating apps like Grindr to arrange sexual encounters for the teenager.
The abuse stopped only in late September 2024 when the case came to light. The exact means by which the abuse was revealed remains unclear. However, the police received signals of severe abuse and sexual exploitation of the victim, which prompted a comprehensive investigation.
It is not yet known how many men were involved in the abuse of the boy, but the OM considers the three suspects part of a criminal organization whose primary goal was exploitation and human trafficking.
One of the suspects, the man who initially took in the boy, is also accused of committing incest with a nephew and possessing child pornography on his phone. It is still being investigated whether he produced this content himself.
Following the arrests of the suspects, the victim was placed in a rehabilitation clinic and is now in a psychiatric facility. The officer of justice reported that the victim’s condition has been improving, and his statements are becoming increasingly clear.
The investigation is ongoing. There could be more suspects involved, including another victim. A deeper examination of one of the suspect’s phones is planned.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 4.
