Prosecutors seek 12 years for man who allegedly abused 245 girls through computer game
Prosecutors are recommending 12 years in prison followed by compulsory psychiatric treatment for a 40-year-old man from Herten, Limburg, accused of sexually abusing 245 underage girls online. The suspect, Bas P., allegedly coerced some of the victims into performing sexual acts in front of a camera and shared recordings of the abuse.
The suspect also faces charges of possessing, producing, and distributing child sexual abuse material, as well as owning a so-called paedophile manual containing instructions for sexually abusing children. Prosecutors are also charging him with participating in a criminal organization, citing his activity on an online platform used to share large amounts of child sexual abuse material.
Authorities have identified 12 Dutch girls and eight from the Flemish region of Belgium among the victims. Other victims have been traced to Belgium, the United States, and Australia. P. allegedly used his own computer game, Highscoregame, to approach the girls. His youngest known victim was just 8 years old.
Highscoregame initially involved harmless challenges, such as waving at the camera to earn points. However, the tasks gradually became more explicit, culminating in a final level that required players to perform sexual acts in front of their webcams.
P. recorded and kept the footage. Investigators discovered almost 6,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse on his laptop, mobile phone, and a USB stick. The material dated from 2017 to 2025, with much of it created through Highscoregame.
During the trial, P. denied coercing the girls into performing sexual acts. He also disputed responsibility for footage discovered by police showing threats to publish the videos if the girls refused to continue, claiming that someone else was behind it.
Several victims told the court on Wednesday that the online abuse continues to affect them years later. They described feelings of guilt and shame, as well as struggles with their self-image. One parent who attended the hearing called P. "a pervert."
P. was arrested in October last year after the FBI alerted Dutch authorities during an investigation into Alice in Wonderland, a dark web forum used to share child sexual abuse material. Investigators discovered that P. was among the platform's users.