'Child porn club': Holland’s Got Talent finalist caught in disturbing case

[Palinurus]

Source: “Child Porn Club”: Holland’s Got Talent finalist caught in disturbing case

“Child Porn Club”: Holland’s Got Talent finalist caught in disturbing case

By Janene Pieters on January 20, 2020 - 14:30

Holland's Got Talent finalist Lars de R. along with four other men are on trial in Belgium this week for making and distributing child pornography. The Dutch man is suspected of sharing files of child pornography he made in India with his Belgian "child porn club", RTL Nieuws reports [in Dutch; with links to other articles].

De R. is already jailed in the Netherlands. Last year, the court in Alkmaar sentenced him to four years in prison for sexually abusing minor boys in India, Croatia, and the Netherlands. The youngest victim was four years old. De R. confessed to sexually abusing 10 boys.

Belgian media described the trial starting on Friday as the largest child pornography case ever in the country. In addition to the Dutch guitarist, the other suspects are three men from Belgium and one from the United Kingdom.

The child pornography shared in the "club" contain thousands of victims, according to Het Laatste Nieuws [in Flemish/Dutch; partly (75%) behind pay wall] . Belgian police so far identified 38 victims, including children of the suspects themselves. The victims are from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States.

As the case is so big, Europol analysts were called in to help with the investigation, RTL Nieuws writes. They identified 664 new series of child pornography.

 

[Palinurus]

Source (Dutch only): Nederlander in grote Belgische kinderpornorechtszaak

NOS News - Abroad - Today, 08:14

Dutchman in major Belgian child porn court case

It is one of the largest child pornography cases ever in Belgium, with no less than eleven million photos and videos of young children. Today the trial against five men, including a Dutchman, starts at the court in Dendermonde.

The Dutchman, Lars de R. (28), is already serving a four-year prison sentence [in Dutch] for sexually abusing ten boys in India, Croatia and the Netherlands. His youngest victim was four years old. He was also sentenced to TBS [forced psychiatric treatment]. The Public Prosecutor's Office appealed against the verdict.

De R. became known for his participation in Holland's Got Talent show years ago, in which he played guitar and sang. He admitted that he abused children while giving guitar lessons, when he himself was a minor too.

Caught

The Belgian 'porn gang' was discovered after the 40-year-old Belgian Michael T. got apprehended. He had been found secretly photographing children several times. T. had been under surveillance by the police's since 2004.

After his arrest in 2015 for photographing (half-)naked children on the beach, not only was child pornography discovered at his home, but the names of the other four suspects also surfaced. All had previously been in contact with the police for similar cases.

New pictures

The eleven million files contain nine million unique videos and photos. Remarkably, the file is good for 664 series - some of as many as hundreds of photos - of new material. Because of the size of the case, the Belgian police called in Europol. They call this case unique, because normally a lot of child pornography consists of 'recycled' files and not of new material.

In addition, the police find it remarkable that the five of them also met in real life. For example, they took their own children, stepchildren or children of acquaintances to places such as the swimming pool, and then abused them and recorded this.

Possibly even a hundred thousand children

Nearly forty victims have so far been identified, including not only Dutch, but also Belgian, American, German and Portuguese children. It is assumed that the number of victims in this case could reach many thousands of children.

The organization Child Focus, which fights against the sexual exploitation of children, is a civil party in the case. This means that the organization can claim compensation on behalf of the thousands of victims whose identity the police do not yet know.


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Source (Dutch only): Nederlander Lars de R. bekent in grote kinderpornozaak in België; eis 10 jaar cel

NOS News - Abroad - Today, 13:46

Dutchman Lars de R. confesses in major child pornography case in Belgium; penalty claim: 10 years in jail


The Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgium has demanded ten years' imprisonment and five years' TBS [forced psychiatric treatment] against 28-year-old Dutchman Lars de R. for possessing, creating and distributing child pornography. The case is one of the largest child pornography cases ever in Belgium.

Lars de R. made a confession in court today. He confessed to sharing images of child pornography. He said that this was not his intention.

De R. had to cry regularly in court, writes the Belgian news site Het Laatste Nieuws [in Dutch]. "I've been weak and sent the footage. To become part of the group. To have contact with people with whom I could express my feelings."

Faced with victims

The man is already serving a four-year prison sentence for sexually abusing ten boys in India, Croatia and the Netherlands. The youngest of his victims was 4 years old. In that case he also confessed. De R. was also sentenced to TBS there. The Public Prosecutor's Office appealed against the verdict.

De R. says that he was confronted by psychologists in the TBS clinic with the statements of his victims. "The consequences I didn't see before, I understood them as a result," he said. "I faced their suffering. No one now has to explain to me that sexual acts with children are wrong."

Eleven million videos

In the case three Belgians and a Brit are on trial, besides de R. The prison sentences demanded against them range from 10 to 15 years.

The five are suspected of having shared eleven million photos and videos of young children on the internet. They are also alleged to have met in real life and taken their own children, stepchildren or children of acquaintances to swimming pools and other places. There the children would have been abused and their images would have been recorded.

The prosecutor called the group of five "the terror of every parent. These are horrible facts that have marked the lives of so many underage children."

Lars de R. became famous for taking part in Holland's Got Talent years ago, in which he played guitar and sang. He admitted that he abused children while giving guitar lessons, when he himself was still a minor.


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

[Voyageur]

"I faced their suffering. No one now has to explain to me that sexual acts with children are wrong."

That is an unbelievable story, sickening, and then he plays the violin in court. They had him under surveillance since 2004 and only arrested him in 2015!

 

[Palinurus]

Source (Dutch only): Lars de R. in België tot 5 jaar cel veroordeeld voor kinderporno

NOS News - Regional news - Today, 17:27

Lars de R. sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in Belgium for child pornography


The 28-year-old Dutchman Lars de R. was convicted in Belgium for the possession and distribution of child pornography. He was given an unconditional prison sentence of five years. De R. was previously sentenced in the Netherlands to five years in prison and TBS [psychiatric observation] for sexual abuse of several young boys.

In addition to Lars de R., four other suspects --three Belgians and one Briton-- have also been sentenced to prison terms of five to sixteen years.

The convicted had a database with more than nine million different child pornography images. The trial is the largest child pornography trial in Belgium ever, writes NH Nieuws [in Dutch].

In addition to possession of child pornography, the five were also convicted of child abuse, incitement to child abuse and human trafficking. Between 2004 and 2017 the men exchanged visual material, including material from their own sons.

Lars de R., from Krommenie, took part in the Holland's Got Talent talent show in 2009 at the age of sixteen. In the Netherlands he was sentenced on appeal in 2018 to five years in prison and TBS with conditions [Dutch only], for the abuse of ten underage boys in the Netherlands, India and Croatia. The youngest victim was four years old.


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)