Man (28) risks seven years in prison for large -scale online sexual abuse: « At one point the opportunities are up » (Kampenhout)

The twenties, R., occurred on Snapchat as a minor young man to get in touch with underage girls. Once he had contact with a girl, he tried to get her to gave him nude photos. He then used it to squeeze his victim and put it under pressure to continue in the visual material that she had to deliver to him, to explicit sexual acts.

At least three girls had to penetrate themselves. When a girl blocked his Snapchat profile, R. created a new false account to put her under pressure again.

Pandora

The ball started rolling when the parents of a victim from Kortrijk went to the police and reported the facts that their daughter had fallen victim to. Furthermore, investigation led the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take control of the file, and R. was identified.

After all, material from the investigators showed that the man had made dozens of victims in a year and a half. More than thirty victims were identified, « but this is just the tip of the iceberg, » said the public prosecutor. « The real figure is much and much higher. 574 nude images were found. It was Pandora’s box. »

Juvenile judge

It is already the third time that the man has to answer for such facts. Once as a minor and afterwards also received a punishment with a delay as an adult. The public prosecutor’s office now demands an effective prison sentence.

« I cannot claim a sentence with a postponement in honor and conscience, » said the prosecutor. « The risk of recidivism is towering, conditions are not discussed here. At a certain moment the opportunities are up and the judiciary must make a fist. »

During the trial, the lawyer of one of the victims read an emotional letter from his 14-year-old client. “When the facts took place, I was very shocked. I was afraid of what he was going to ask and what he wanted to do with it. I couldn’t stop crying (The images clearly show that the victim is crying while she ‘poses’, ed.) I wanted to solve it myself and not bother anyone with it, « it sounds.

Shame

After a while the victim told her story to her sister, who passed the information to her parents. « I was embarrassed, I thought I had disappointed them and that my parents would not like me anymore. Fortunately I could talk to them about it, but I didn’t want them to think they were bad parents. At a certain moment I was afraid of every boy or man I saw. I hope I will never have to experience this again. »

The defense of the 28-year-old man asked the court on Friday to impose a prison with a delay, under very strict conditions. « We cannot ignore that R. has already been convicted of similar facts, » said Master Elise Galopin, R.’s lawyer, « he followed group therapy, and that went well, until a number of circumstances greatly raised the stress in his life. He had a lot of work, had a heavy debt burden because he was able to do a conflict with his parents. »

Debt

Only when R. flew in prison again due to the new facts did he be forced to look harder in the mirror, it sounded. « It has become clear there that he needs intensive, and especially individual therapy. He has suffered a sexual trauma through the very dissolute education of his parents in his youth. »

The verdict falls on May 9.(CVH, BLG)