Dutch Police Urge Sextortion Victims to Come Forward After Arrest

Dutch police have started a social media outreach effort asking potential victims of an alleged international sextortion scheme to contact authorities, after a 22-year-old Dutch man was arrested and brought to trial. Officials said the campaign is designed to reach people who may not yet have reported what happened and to provide information on available support.

The suspect has been identified as Damian A. Investigators said he was arrested in January 2025 and is now on trial in Dordrecht. Prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence as well as psychological treatment, according to officials.

Authorities allege Damian A. used online accounts to present himself as a teenage girl and then pressured women and girls into carrying out degrading sexual acts on camera. Investigators said the alleged conduct involved coercion and subsequent blackmail, with threats to distribute explicit images and videos to victims’ friends and family if they did not comply.

Police said they have identified more than 50 victims linked to the case across the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, and Montenegro. Officials added that they believe the true number of victims is much higher, which is a key reason for the public-facing campaign.

The outreach also aims to reassure survivors that the suspect is in custody, while encouraging those affected to come forward even if they are unsure whether their experience is connected to the case described by investigators.

The case is being presented by authorities as part of a broader rise in sextortion reports. Dutch police recorded approximately 3,000 sextortion cases in 2025, officials said, representing a 46% increase from the previous year. Police said the campaign also has a prevention focus, including messaging for parents and children about the risks associated with sharing intimate images online and the ways offenders can use such material to exert control.

Officials said support resources are being made available to victims and that professional assistance can be important given the potential psychological harm associated with this type of abuse. Authorities did not provide a final estimate of how many people may have been targeted, and the investigation’s full scope remains uncertain as police continue to seek additional reports.