Dutch man held for Alberta teen’s ‘sextortion’

An international child exploitation investigation resulted in the arrest of a Dutch man for online sexual offences against five youth, including one from Alberta.

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit worked alongside Lethbridge police and the National Police Netherlands on the case, which involved online sexual extortion.

“This investigation shows that there are no boundaries when it comes to tracking down suspects who victimize children,” said Det. Aat Both, Dutch Child Exploitation Team, National Police Netherlands.

Police say the investigation stems from an online sexual extortion case involving a 14-yearold Lethbridge boy. The suspect allegedly met the victim through an online social media platform, and at first, the victim believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl.

However, police say the suspect allegedly coerced the boy into sending sexually explicit photos, which progressed into threats and extortion for more photos.

The victim eventually came forward and reported the “sextortion” to the Lethbridge Police Service in April 2017.

Lethbridge police worked with ICE on the investigation and forensic technicians were able to identify the suspect through information retrieved from the boy ’s cellphone.

A 28-year-old male suspect was arrested in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on July 4 by Dutch police. He was charged with threatening a minor to commit lewd acts, and possession, production, and dissemination of child pornography.

Under Dutch privacy laws, the suspect cannot be identified.

Since his arrest, National Police Netherlands was able to identify four other victims who suffered under similar circumstances.