32-year-old Mark S. from Borculo is appealing against his conviction in the major sextortion case. The court in Groningen sentenced him to 10 years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment.
According to the judges, the man from Borculo was guilty of years of online sexual extortion, rape, threats and money laundering. He claimed dozens of victims between 2011 and 2023. These were young women and girls. The Achterhoeker denied almost all accusations.
Quickly decided
Normally, convicts have two weeks to appeal. S. submitted his request after just three days. The court in Groningen announced this. This means that the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal will look at the large file again later.
Some victims took into account that he would appeal. It reassured them that he had been sentenced to TBS with compulsory treatment. This way he could no longer create new victims.
Police in the dust
For a long time the women were not believed or lived in fear or shame. They were ‘pushed away’ from the police, the judge said during the trial. The East Netherlands police later acknowledged that they should not have sent victims away like that. Minister of Justice David van Weel, improvement in the investigation of sextortion.
In his early years, many victims came from his immediate environment in the Achterhoek. Later he struck across the country. He raped two young women from Groningen and Rotterdam.
‘Fear and uncertainty’
He forced a young victim from the Betuwe to perform extreme sexual tasks online. For example, she had to have sex with her brothers, strange men and a dog.
According to the court, S. acted in a calculating manner. “The victims were desperate and powerless and did everything he asked. They lived in fear and uncertainty for years.”
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