Sextortion suspect confesses to victimizing dozens of girls online

A 22-year-old man from Spijkenisse, suspected of orchestrating widespread sextortion, admitted in court on Wednesday that he had blackmailed girls. Damian D. was identified after a large-scale American investigation into sextortion.

Psychological evaluations indicate that D. has an autism spectrum disorder. Allegedly unable to engage with girls and women in person, he turned to the internet. He reportedly pressured dozens of girls to send nude photos and then coerced them into sending additional images, threatening to post them online if they refused.

The judge described D. on Wednesday as “calculating and manipulative.” D. acknowledged that he knew his actions were illegal but claimed he had not reflected on their impact. Experts suggest that he is sexually aroused by coercing young women and may suffer from a sexual sadism disorder.

Of the 20 identified victims, nearly all are from other countries, including girls and young women from the United States. One victim is Dutch. Authorities believe there may be another 37 victims, though their identities could not be confirmed. Multiple victims suffered self-harm and suicidal thoughts due to the abuse they endured.

In one instance, D. used social media to recruit someone living near a victim to physically monitor her. He then used the information gathered from this surveillance to coerce her into sending more explicit images. D. admitted to collecting personal details about several victims, including where they attended school, to intimidate them. Most of the victims were teenagers.

The suspect had joined specific Telegram groups where nude images of women and girls were circulated. He claimed that he decided to join after seeing a news report about such groups. “I was curious to see what was in these groups,” he told the judge.